Impact of COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences on children's internet addiction and use of smartphone and tablet

BACKGROUND: Digital devices have represented a fundamental resource for maintaining communication relationships during the period of restrictive measures imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. However it is evident that this period has contributed to increase the risks connected to the inappropriate use of digital devices. The aim of our study is to demonstrate how the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent lockdown had an impact on children's use of digital devices. METHOD(S): One hundred and thirty children aged between six and 18 from Montalto di Castro were recruited in the study carried out in November 2020. All participants were asked to fill in two identical questionnaires: questions of the first questionnaire were related to the pre-lockdown period, while questions of the second questionnaire were related to the period between March and November 2020. RESULT(S): The average age of the 130 participants was 11.8+/-2 years. The amount of time spent by using digital devices is significantly lower in the pre-lockdown period than in the lockdown period (P<0.02). The smartphone addiction index is significantly lower in the pre-lockdown period (P<0.001). The analysis of headaches in the early morning hours - considered as one of the effects deriving from the use of the smartphone before sleeping - showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). There are also significant differences related to physical activity and its frequency, with data showing the increase of children who did not perform physical activity (P<0.0001). CONCLUSION(S): This study does not only show a constant increase over time of the smartphone/tablet use, but also how the pandemic and social restrictions have worsened the phenomenon itself. This is particularly evident for the duration of exposure to screens, the addiction to smartphones, the quality of sleep and the practice of physical activity.Copyright © 2021 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA.

The Relationship Between Physical Activity and Mobile Phone Addiction Among Adolescents and Young Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Observational Studies.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported a potential negative correlation between physical activity (PA) and mobile phone addiction (MPA) among adolescents and young adults. To date, the strength of this correlation has not been well characterized. OBJECTIVE: This review and meta-analysis aimed to synthesize available empirical studies to examine the correlations between PA and MPA among adolescents and young adults. We also explored several potential moderators, including time of data collection, country or region, and type of population, associated with the relationship between PA and MPA. METHODS: Four electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Web of Science) were searched from database inception to March 2022 to identify relevant studies. The pooled Pearson correlation coefficients and their corresponding 95% CIs for the relationship between PA and MPA were calculated using the inverse variance method. The methodological quality of the included cross-sectional studies was determined based on the Joanna Briggs Institute appraisal checklist. The study conformed to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses) guidelines. RESULTS: In total, 892 relevant articles were identified, of which 22 were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The final meta-analysis included 17 of the 22 studies. Results of random effects modeling revealed a moderate correlation between PA and MPA among adolescents and young adults (summary r=-0.243, P<.001). Sensitivity and publication bias analyses further demonstrated the robustness of our results. All the included studies were scored as high quality with a low risk of bias. Subgroup analysis further indicated that none of the hypothesized moderators (time of data collection, country or region, and type of population) significantly affected the relationship between PA and MPA, as confirmed by the mixed effects analysis. In addition, in the data collection subgroups, medium effect sizes were obtained for data collected before COVID-19 (r=-0.333, P<.001) and data collected during COVID-19 (r=-0.207, P<.001). In subgroup analyses for country or region, the correlation coefficient for China and other developing regions showed a similarly moderate effect size (r=-0.201, P<.001 and r= -0.217, P<.001, respectively). However, the effect sizes for developed regions were not significant (r=-0.446, P=.39). In a subgroup analysis based on the type of population, we found that the effect size for young adults was moderate (r=-0.250, P<.001). However, that of adolescents was not significant (r=-0.129, P=.24). CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate a moderately negative relationship between PA and MPA among young adults. The strength of this relationship was not influenced by the time of data collection, country or region, or type of population.

Towards assisting visually impaired individuals: A review on current status and future prospects

Visually impaired people require support with regular tasks including navigating, detecting obstacles, and maintaining safety, especially in both indoor and outdoor environments. As a result of the advancement of assistive technology, their lives have become substantially more convenient. Here, cutting-edge assistive devices and technologies for the visually impaired are reviewed, along with a chronology of their evolution. These methodologies are classified according to their intended applications. The taxonomy is combined with a description of the tests and experiments that can be used to examine the characteristics and assessments of assistive technology. In addition, the algorithms used in assistive devices are examined. This paper looks at solar industry innovations and promotes using renewable energy sources to create assistive devices, as well as, addresses the sudden advent of COVID-19 and the shift in the development of assistive devices. This review can serve as a stepping stone for further research on the topic. Copyright © 2022 The Author(s)

The relationship between physical exercise and mobile phone addiction among Chinese college students: Testing mediation and moderation effects.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, suspensions of activities and long periods of self-isolation led to a sharp increase in excessive use of mobile phones, which sparked public concern about mobile phone addiction (MPA). In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to physical exercise as a protective effect of MPA. However, more studies are needed to reveal this relationship and the exact mechanisms, based on which this study tested the mediating and moderating roles of self-control, rumination, psychological distress, and loneliness between physical exercise and MPA. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, primary data was collected by questionnaire from 1,843 college students (19.75 ± 1.3) from five universities in Sichuan Province in Mainland China. Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale (MPATS), Physical Activity Rating Scale-3 (PARS-3), Self-Control Scale (SCS), Ruminative Response Scale (RRS), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), and UCLA Loneliness Scale (UCLA-20) were investigated. The mediating models were examined using SPSS PROCESS macro 3.3 software, in which the mediation variables were self-control, rumination, and psychological distress, and the moderation was loneliness. Gender, major, and grade were included as control variables. Result: Self-control, rumination, and psychological distress played a simple mediating role between physical exercise and MPA. Moreover, not only self-control and rumination but also self-control and psychological distress played the chain mediating roles between physical exercise and MPA. The chain pathways were moderated by loneliness. Specifically, the effect was more substantial among college students with higher loneliness. Conclusion: The conclusions corroborate and clarify that self-control, rumination, and psychological distress mediated the association between physical exercise and MPA, and the mediation effects were moderated via loneliness. This present study advanced our understanding of how and when college students' physical exercise was related to MPA. It also illustrates that educators and parents should pay more attention to college students' physical exercise.

A study of online purchasing intention during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Lebanese context

This study aims to investigate the impact of selected factors (website quality, website brand, trust, SNS usage through mobile application, eWOM, and mobile phone addiction) on online purchase intention during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study also investigates the mediating impact of trust on the association between website quality, website brand, and online purchase intention. Data were collected from 226 Facebook users in Lebanon. The hierarchical regression analysis was used to evaluate the impact of these factors on online purchase intention. The results show that only website brand and mobile phone addiction were significantly related to online purchase intention. It was also found that trust does not have a mediation effect on the relationship between website brand and online purchase intention. However, trust can be considered as a partial mediator of the relationship between website quality and online purchase intention. Finally, practical implications are discussed. Then directions for future research are presented. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Anxiety sensitivity mediates relations between anxiety and problematic smartphone use severity in Chinese adolescents early in the COVID-19 pandemic

Risk factors for problematic smartphone use (PSU) have rapidly become an important area of research due to the prevalence of smartphones and functional impairment associated with PSU. Our aim was to examine anxiety sensitivity (AS) as a mediating variable between both depression and anxiety with PSU severity. Participants (N = 4,752) from junior and senior high schools in Tianjin, China completed a web-based survey with measures of depression, anxiety, AS, and PSU. Inferential analyses revealed significant differences between males and females on PSU severity (η=.02). Results of structural equation modeling indicated good model fit (CFI=.956;TLI=.954;RMSEA = .05), and that anxiety was positively associated with AS when adjusting for depression (β = .951, S.E. = .043);and AS was significantly associated with greater PSU severity, adjusting for age and sex (β = .474, S.E. = .013). Additionally, AS mediated relations between anxiety and PSU severity (β = .451, S.E. = .024). Current findings are consistent with theoretical models of problematic internet use (I-PACE) and previous research linking AS to other kinds of behavioral addictions (e.g., smoking, alcohol use).

Adolescent mobile phone addiction during the COVID-19 pandemic predicts subsequent suicide risk: a two-wave longitudinal study.

Both the rate of mobile phone addiction and suicidality among adolescents have increased during the pandemic lockdown. However, the relationship between mobile phone addiction and suicide risk and the underlying psychological mechanisms remains unknown. This study examined the associations between mobile phone addiction in adolescents during the first month of lockdown and the suicide risk in the subsequent five months. A two-wave short-term longitudinal web-based survey was conducted on 1609 senior high school students (mean age = 16.53 years, SD = 0.97 years; 63.5% female). At Time 1 (T1), the severity of mobile phone addiction and basic demographic information was collected from Feb 24 to 28, 2020 in Sichuan Province, China (at the pandemic's peak). Five months later, between July 11 and July 23 (Time 2, T2), mobile phone addiction, daytime sleepiness, depression, and suicidality were measured within the past five months. The regression analysis revealed that mobile phone addiction during quarantine directly predicted suicidality within the next five months, even after controlling for the effect of depression and daytime sleepiness. Meanwhile, mobile phone addiction at T1 also indirectly predicted suicidality at T2, with depression and daytime sleepiness mediating this association. Programs targeting improvement of daytime sleepiness and depressive symptoms may be particularly effective in reducing suicide risk among adolescents with mobile phone addiction.

COVID-19 Victimization Experience and College Students' Mobile Phone Addiction: A Moderated Mediation Effect of Future Anxiety and Mindfulness.

This study proposed a moderated mediation model to investigate the association between COVID-19 victimization experience and mobile phone addiction, the mediating role of future anxiety, and the moderating role of mindfulness. This study employed the COVID-19 victimization experience scale, the mobile phone addiction scale, a future anxiety scale, and a mindfulness scale in a survey study among Chinese college students; 840 valid questionnaires were received. The reliability and confirmatory factor analysis results showed that all four scales had good reliability and validity. Bootstrap results demonstrated that COVID-19 victimization experience significantly predicted mobile phone addiction in college students (B = 0.202, LLCI = 0.136, ULCI = 0.268). Future anxiety fully mediated the association between COVID-19 victimization experience and mobile phone addiction (B = 0.178, LLCI = 0.136, ULCI = 0.222). Mindfulness moderated the effect of COVID-19 victimization experience on the college students' future anxiety (B = 0.159, LLCI = 0.007, ULCI = 0.054). A higher level of mindfulness was more likely than a lower level of mindfulness to attenuate the effect of COVID-19 victimization experience on the college students' future anxiety. These findings broaden our understanding regarding the association between COVID-19 victimization experience and mobile phone addiction and the moderating role of mindfulness.

The Impact of Adolescent Resilience on Mobile Phone Addiction During COVID-19 Normalization and Flooding in China: A Chain Mediating.

Natural disasters cause long-term psychological problems and increase substance use in some adults. However, it is unclear whether disasters also lead to these problems in adolescents. We hypothesized the influence of adolescent resilience on mobile phone addiction during the normalization of COVID-19 and flooding. We tested the mediating role of coping style and depression, anxiety, and stress (DASS) on phone addiction among 1,751 adolescents in the Henan Province in China. The adolescents were surveyed via an online questionnaire, and we used structural equation modeling to examine the correlations and moderation effects. The results show that coping style and DASS could mediate the relationship between adolescent resilience and mobile phone addiction among Chinese adolescents. A chain of coping styles and DASS mediated the relationship between adolescent resilience and mobile phone addiction in Chinese adolescents.

Factors Associated with Smartphone Addiction during COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown in Students of Faculty of Medicine in North Sumatera

BACKGROUND: The popularity of cell phones among the younger generation has increased rapidly in a short period, leading to the high prevalence of smartphone addiction among adolescents worldwide, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown period. AIM: This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with smartphone addiction measured by the Indonesian version of the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV) score in both pre-clinical and clerkship students. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2020 to December 2020 in pre-clinical and clerkship students of the Faculty of Medicine from the Universitas Sumatera Utara, North Sumatra Islamic University, Hospital of North Sumatra University, and Hospital of Haji Medan academic year of 2019–2020. The Indonesian version of the SAS-SV questionnaire was distributed to the study subjects through Google Forms. RESULTS: Bivariate analysis showed all variables to be significantly associated with SAS-SV score (all p < 0.05). Meanwhile, multivariate analysis showed all variables but the type of smartphone and the closest family members to be significantly associated with the SAS-SV score. CONCLUSION: Age, gender, education level, monthly income, duration of smartphone use, sleep duration, parental educational background, monthly internet costs, and other uses of smartphones were found to be associated with smartphone addiction as measured by the Indonesian version of the SAS-SV score. Meanwhile, the type of smartphone and the closest family members were not associated with smartphone addiction as measured by the Indonesian version of the SAS-SV score.

Effects of Covid-19 pandemic in Turkey: Physical activity, smartphone usage, musculoskeletal system

This study aims to evaluate relationship between physical activity level, smartphone usage, back and neck health during Covid-19 pandemic. Participants between ages of 18-65 were included in study. Smartphone usage was evaluated with Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version, physical activity levels with short form of International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Oswestry Disability Index and Neck Bournemouth Questionnaire was used to evaluate back and neck problems. A total of 251 people (179 women, 72 men, age: 28.11±9.49 years, min-max: 18-62 years) participated in study. 134 participants (53.38%) had low physical activity levels;35 individuals (13.94%) had sufficient physical activity levels while 82 participants (32.66%) were not physically active. A weak positive correlation was found between neck pain and total score of smartphone addiction scale, daily smartphone usage time, daily smartphone check frequency, and first check time after waking up (r=0.199, r=0.149, r=0.132, respectively). A weak negative correlation was found between neck pain and first check time after waking up (r=-0.145). As a result of study, it was observed that physical activity levels were insufficient in majority of individuals who participated in survey. The relationships we expected between physical activity level, smartphone usage characteristics, low back and neck health could not be demonstrated, only weak relationships were found between some features of smartphone use and neck health. We believe that finding solutions to increase physical activity levels of individuals during pandemic period will have both protective effects on health and will prevent problems by affecting musculoskeletal system positively.

Perceived stress and mobile phone addiction among college students during the 2019 coronavirus disease: The mediating roles of rumination and the moderating role of self-control.

This present study aimed to examine the mediating role of rumination and the moderating role of self-control in the link between perceived stress and mobile phone addiction during the COVID-19 epidemic. A total of 628 college students completed Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale, Smartphone Addiction Scale, Ruminative Responses Scale and Self-Control Scale. Mediation analysis highlighted that rumination mediated the association between perceived stress and mobile phone addiction. Moderated mediation analysis indicated that the indirect association between perceived stress and mobile phone addiction were moderated by self-control. Between the COVID affected group and the unaffected group, some differences also be observed in the moderating effect of self-control. This study emphasize the importance of rumination and self-control in understanding the possible mechanisms underlying the relationship between perceived stress and mobile phone addiction, which can be used to develop interventions to reduce the problematic behavior among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic.