Conroy, D, Chadwick, D, Fullwood, C and Lloyd, J (2022) "You have to know how to live with it without getting to the addiction part": British young adult experiences of smartphone over-reliance and disconnectivity. Psychology of Popular Media, 12 (4). pp. 471-480. ISSN 2689-6575

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Abstract

Smartphone usage offers undeniable upsides (e.g. social connectivity and increased productivity). However, the ever-expanding utilities of smartphones have prompted debate around device over-reliance, which has prompted interest in ‘digital detox’, ‘technology pushback’ and ‘disconnectivity’. We report an in-depth qualitative exploration of perceptions of smartphone over-reliance and experiences of attempting to modify usage (i.e., efforts to disconnect) among fourteen 18-30-year-old university students. Semi-structured interview transcripts were subjected to interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). A first theme – ‘It’s like an addiction’ – concerned the drift from valuing the convenience/productivity afforded by smartphones into feeling over-reliant on devices. Over-reliance could hinder meeting basic needs, limit time for valued pastimes and could unsettle feelings of agency. A second theme – ‘It’s difficult to maintain abstinence’ - concerned barriers to modification efforts, including fearing possible social repercussions, transferring attention to other Internet-affording devices, and self-deception. This article highlights how modifying habitual usage patterns may be challenging and encourages debate around how ‘smartphone over-reliance’ could be framed.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Copyright © 2022 This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by the American Psychological Association. Conroy, Dominic; Chadwick, Darren; Fullwood, Chris; Lloyd, Joanne, Psychology of popular media, 12(4), 471–480. This paper is not the copy of record and may not exactly replicate the authoritative document published in the APA journal. The final article is available at https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000425
Uncontrolled Keywords:	addiction; disconnectivity; phone-free days; smartphones; interpretative phenomenological analysis
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology T Technology > T Technology (General)
Divisions:	Psychology (from Sep 2019)
Publisher:	American Psychological Association
SWORD Depositor:	A Symplectic
Date Deposited:	05 Feb 2024 14:52
Last Modified:	05 Feb 2024 15:00
DOI or ID number:	10.1037/ppm0000425
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/22511

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