Smartphone Addiction and Beyond: Initial Insights on an Emerging Research Topic and Its Relationship to Internet Addiction

• Published in: Internet Addiction pp. 359 - 372
• Main Authors: Duke, Éilish, Montag, Christian
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 2017
• Series: Studies in Neuroscience, Psychology and Behavioral Economics
• Subjects: Internet Addiction; Internet Gaming Disorder; NoGo Trial; Pathological Gambling; Slot Machine
• DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-46276-9_21
• ISBN: 9783319462752; 331946275X
• ISSN: 2196-6605

The present chapter considers early insights on some pressing issues in the investigation of smartphone (over)use. More specifically, we consider whether tendencies toward overuse of the smartphone and Internet are related. And, if so, whether the same personality structure represents a vulnerability factor for both kinds of digital addiction. This chapter also identifies some similarities and differences between Internet and smartphone overuse, beyond the findings from personality psychology. Finally, the chapter provides a short overview of the important relationship between smartphone use, flow experience at work, and productivity issues. This section is followed by a simple behaviorist model, which aims to explain the aetiogenesis of problematic smartphone use. The chapter closes with some easy to implement therapeutic interventions designed to reduce smartphone use in order to live more meaningful lives in the here and now.