Out of sight is not out of mind: The impact of restricting wireless mobile device use on anxiety levels among low,moderate and high users |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Communications, California State University, Dominguez Hills, 1000 E. Victoria St., SAC 1166, Carson, CA 90747, United States;2. Department of Psychology, California State University, Dominguez Hills, 1000 E. Victoria St., SBS B-241A, Carson, CA 90747, United States;1. Department of Urology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany;2. Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany;3. Department of Urology, University Hospital Dusseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University, Dusseldorf, Germany;4. Department of Urology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Ruprecht-Karls-University, Heidelberg, Germany;5. Department of Urology, Essen University Hospital, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany;6. Clinic for Urology and Urologic Oncology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany;1. Department of Food Science, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 26, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark;2. Center for Food and Hospitality Research, Institut Paul Bocuse, 69130 Ecully, France |
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| Abstract: | Overuse of wireless mobile devices (WMDs) may be associated with a form of psychological dependency, of which a prominent feature may be anxiety arising from separation from these devices. College students, who are among the most avid consumers of WMDs, might be susceptible to the negative effects of WMD overuse. The present study examined anxiety in American college students when their WMDs were unexpectedly not available. Upon arrival, approximately one half of the 163 participants were randomly assigned to have their WMDs removed from their possession; the other half was allowed to keep their WMDs but were required to turn them off and place them out of sight. Participants were forced to sit quietly with no distractions during the study. The state portion of the State/Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was administered three times, 20 min apart, beginning 10 min after the participants entered the room. The results showed that participants felt significantly more anxious over time. However, this pattern was evident only with heavy WMD users and with moderate WMD users whose devices were taken away. Dependency upon WMDs, mediated by an unhealthy connection to their constant use, may lead to increased anxiety when the device is absent. |
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| Keywords: | Anxiety Smartphones Mobile Phones Wireless Mobile Devices Dependence |
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