The number of smartphone users has steadily risen over the last few years and smartphones have apparently become an unavoidable part of daily life; and with that, concerns have progressively risen worldwide in regards to users' physical and psychological well-being when using smartphones for extended periods of time. This study looked at the relationship between smartphone use and physical well-being, as well as the role of emotion regulation in the relationship between smartphone usage and functional impairment. This research sheds light on the harmful relationship between excessive smartphone use and the user's physical and mental health. The findings show that smartphone usage plays an important role in individuals' everyday lives. As a result, the influence on physical and psychological well-being should be discussed further in order to prevent the negative consequences of smartphone usage.
TopIntroduction
The rapid advancement of technology is well acknowledged to have had a significant impact on our everyday activities and behaviours. Smartphones serve numerous functions for different occasions, including for work, education, and leisure, and are more capable of processing information than normal cell phones, thanks to continual technological advancements (Anshari, 2020). In the second quarter of 2021, around 313.2 million smartphones were shipped according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) worldwide quarterly mobile phone tracker. Additionally, in comparison to 2020, the data is revealed that there is a 13.2 per cent increase in smartphone users globally. This gadget includes modern technology which performs similarly to a computer, allowing multitasking, and making it simple to stay in touch with people. The availability and accessibility of a smartphone have improved everyone’s lives because it allows us to connect to each other through forms of video calling, voice calling, and text messaging amongst others. Smartphones provide consumers with ongoing access to mediated communication, helping them to stay engaged in their daily lives (Mulyani et al., 2019).
Consequently, there are a variety of smartphone brands nowadays, each with its own set of functions and features, depending on the user's preferences (Low & Anshari, 2012). Smartphones, without a doubt, behave like small computers because their functionalities are comparable to those of a computer but in a smaller and more portable form. However, from the standpoint of technology addiction or problematic usage, pervasive mobile connectivity is associated with a decrease in users’ well-being. The smartphone's active and online status, along with its portability and multifaceted capability, has raised concerns about its addictive potential. Although smartphone developments allow users to quickly adjust to new technology, experts suggest that they have a significant impact on their everyday communications and lifestyles over time (Line et al., 2011; Anshari et al., 2022). In light of this, a significant amount of research has linked excessive smartphone use to a variety of addiction-like behavioural and psychometric symptoms that causes issues on users’ well-being. Hence, the proper use of smartphones is vital to people's lives and to society as a whole since it can contribute to the development and enhancement of society, which will result in changes and advancements.
As a result, the primary goal of this research is to determine the concerns that arise as a result of users' habits and behaviour in relation to the usage of smartphones in terms of physical and psychological well-being.