Nomophobia and Its Predictors: The Role of Psychological, Sociodemographic, and Internet Use Factors

TL;DR

This study explores nomophobia, the fear of being without a smartphone, and identifies factors like gender and phubbing behavior that are linked to it.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into the psychological and behavioral predictors of nomophobia, particularly highlighting the role of phubbing behavior.

Findings

Gender and phubbing behavior were significantly associated with nomophobia.

The study confirmed the relevance of psychological variables in understanding nomophobia.

Regression models identified key factors linked to overall nomophobia and its dimensions.

Abstract

Nomophobia, or the fear of not being able to use a smartphone and/or the services, has gained increasing attention due to its growing prevalence. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of nomophobia and of potential variables associated with the phenomenon. Additionally, it sought to determine if the average of total nomophobia and the four second-order factors differed across gender. Finally, it analyzed the associations between nomophobia (overall and second-order factors) and psychological variables (self-esteem, loneliness, life satisfaction, and phubbing behavior), internet use, and sociodemographic characteristics. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 306 participants (68.6% women), aged between 18 and 79 years (M = 38.0, SD = 16.3), using an online questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests comparing groups by gender, and bivariate correlations were computed. After, multiple linear regression analyses were performed to obtain parsimonious models with the most relevant variables (psychological variables, internet use, and sociodemographic characteristics) associated with overall nomophobia and its four dimensions. The results were generally consistent with the previous literature. Notably, gender and phubbing behavior were significantly associated with nomophobia. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the nomophobia phenomenon and may inform future interventions aimed at mitigating its potential impact on well-being.