Are you smartphone-obsessed?

More smartphone use equals less fun during leisure

Too much smartphone use can lead to leisure distress, feeling uptight, stressed and anxious during free time, new research has found.

Researchers at the Kent State University in US surveyed a random sample of 454 college students to examine how different types of cell phone users experience daily leisure.

They measured each person's total daily cell phone use, personality and experience of daily leisure.

The students were then categorised into distinct groups based on similar patterns of smartphone use and personality.

Lastly, each group's experience of daily leisure was compared.

An analysis showed three distinct types of cell phone users: low-use extroverts, low-use introverts and a high-use group.

The high-use group made up about 25 per cent of the sample and averaged more than 10 hours of cell phone use per day.

An increased level of smartphone use was this group's defining characteristic and was associated with a diminished experience of daily leisure.

"The high-frequency cell phone user may not have the leisure skills necessary to creatively fill their free time with intrinsically rewarding activities," researcher Andrew Lepp said.

"For such people, the ever-present smartphone may provide an easy, but less satisfying and more stressful, means of filling their time," said Lepp.

In comparison to the other two groups, the high-frequency cell phone users experienced significantly more leisure distress. Leisure distress is feeling uptight, stressed and anxious during free time.

"In our previously published research, we found that high-frequency cell phone users often described feeling obligated to remain constantly connected to their phones," researcher Jacob Barkley said.

"This obligation was described as stressful, and the present study suggests the stress may be spilling over into their leisure," said Barkley.

By contrast, the low-use extrovert group averaged about three hours of smartphone use per day and had the greatest preference to challenge themselves during leisure time as well as low levels of leisure boredom and distress.

"Although this study was not designed to assess cause and effect, the relationships identified are important to reflect upon," researcher Jian Li said.

"Being constantly connected to your phone is not likely to enhance your experience of leisure. On the other hand, disconnecting for short periods of time in order to seek more challenging leisure opportunities is likely to be beneficial," said Li.

The study was published in the journal Computers in Human Behaviour.

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Daily 'technoference' hurting relationships: Study

Technoference' -- seemingly small, everyday interruptions that come with smartphones and other devices -- can hurt romantic relationships, a new study has found.

A study involving 143 women in committed relationships found that 74 per cent of them think that cellphones detract from their interactions with their spouse or partner.

Researchers found this 'technoference' -- even if infrequent -- sets off a chain of negative events: more conflict about technology, lower relationship quality, lower life satisfaction and higher risk of depression.

"This is likely a circular process that people become trapped in where allowing technology to interfere, even in small ways, in one's relationship at least sometimes causes conflict, which can begin to slowly erode the quality of their relationship," said Brandon T McDaniel of The Pennsylvania
State University.

"Over time, individuals feel less satisfied with their relationship as well as with the way their life is currently going. They may not even realise this is happening," McDaniel said.

At that point, some may start using technology to escape their bad feelings. That leads to the possibility of more technoference, continuing the cycle.

Study participants reported many types of technoference happening at least daily. Sixty-two per cent said technology interferes with their free time together while 35 per cent said their partner will pull out the phone mid-conversation if they receive a notification.

Around 25 per cent said their partner will actively text other people during the couple's face-to-face conversations.

"When you are having one-on-one time with your partner, let's say we're going out to dinner, we should be focusing on each other," said Sarah Coyne of Brigham Young University.

"But if I'm on my device, or he is on his device, that really interferes with the precious couple time that we have," Coyne said.

The study was published in the journal Psychology of Popular Media Culture.

Photograph: Ed Yourdon/Wikimedia Commons