A peer-reviewed study published Tuesday in Frontiers in Psychiatry found that 40% of college students are addicted to their smartphones – and that their sleep quality is poorer.
In 2019, researchers from King’s College London surveyed 1,043 students aged 18 to 30 over their smartphone use, including the average amount of use per day and timing. They then compare this with the average number of hours the respondents slept on weekday evenings, as well as the overall quality of their sleep.
The study found that 38.9% of students were addicted to their smartphones. Of the addicts, 68.7% had poor sleep quality, compared to 57.1% of those who were not addicted.
Researchers found that students who used their phone for a few hours during activities with family or friends, and probably after midnight, were most at risk of becoming addicted.
What’s more, the study found that they were less likely to be addicted to those who stopped their device an hour before bed, compared to those who stopped less than 30 minutes before bedtime.
According to the study, “smartphone addiction, however, has been associated with poor sleep, regardless of duration of use, suggesting that the duration should not be used as a proxy for harmful use.”
Students who used a smartphone for more than five hours a day, who could not control how long they spent on their phone, who felt anxious when they could not access their phone, and who missed life activities become addicted regard.
Another study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine in June reported similar findings on the link between smartphone use and sleep in younger children. The study concluded that excessive use of smartphones is associated with shorter total sleep time and sleep quality.
But some experts dispute the term ‘smartphone addiction’. Smartphone addiction is not a condition recognized by any global health body, and according to Bob Patton, a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Surrey who studies addictive behavior, there is no formal clinical diagnosis.
In addition, it is important to note that the results of the study cannot be applied to the general population, as the study includes only students and young adults.
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