Abstract
Socially anxious individuals avoid face-to-face communication by increasing their use of mobile phones. The relationship between anxiety and problematic smartphone use (PSU) severity has been studied; however, the association between social anxiety and problematic smartphone use, especially regarding psychological, cognitive and behavioral risk factors, requires further verification. The aim of the current study was to investigate the mediating role of smartphone use and rumination in the relationship between social anxiety and PSU. We recruited 825 Chinese undergraduate students by convenience sampling via a web-based survey that measured social anxiety (Social Interaction Anxiety Scale, SIAS), PSU(Smartphone addiction scale-short version, SAS-SV), smartphone use (two questions about smartphone use time) and rumination (Rumination scale). Seven hundred twenty-one valid questionnaires were obtained (74.5% male). A significant positive correlation between social anxiety and PSU (β = 0.1001, p < 0.001) was observed. Smartphone use and rumination mediated social anxiety and PSU severity. In the final model, smartphone use and rumination played a serial mediating role in the social anxiety and PSU relationship. Thus, future research should focus on rumination and its association with smartphone use.
Highlights
Social anxiety was positive correlate of problematic smartphone use (PSU).
Rumination and smartphone use played a serial mediating role between social anxiety and PSU.
Rumination and smartphone use were the key factors for the prevention of social anxiety.
Implications and Contribution
This study explores the relationship between social anxiety and PSU, highlighting the role of psychological, cognitive and behavioral risk factors in this new form of problematic behavior. Rumination and smartphone use played a serial mediating role between social anxiety and PSU. Findings raise concerns about the prevention of PSU.
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Data Availability
Data and survey materials will be made available upon request.
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Funding
This study received a grant from the National Natural Science Foundation Project (32271140), the Tianjin Normal University Research Innovation Project for Postgraduate Students (2022KYCX128Y), Tianjin University Ideological and Political Work Research Base and the Tianjin Sino-German University of Applied Sciences ideological and political education research topic (zdkt2017-028).
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Chen Liu and Haibo Yang designed the study protocol. Chen Liu conducted data collection, data management, cleaning, and analysis. Chen Liu wrote the first draft of the paper. Haibo Yang substantially revised the manuscript. Zhiqiang Hao and Juan Li revised the article from the English language.
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Liu, C., Yang, H., Hao, Z. et al. The relationship between social anxiety and problematic smartphone use: a chain mediation model. Curr Psychol 43, 4168–4178 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04574-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04574-5