Effect of Loneliness and Depressive Symptoms on Smartphone Overdependence among South Korean Adolescents: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: This study utilized data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey to determine the impact of depressive symptoms and loneliness on smartphone overdependence among South Korean adolescents.Methods: This study performed a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from the 16th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey (2020). Data (n=57,925 adolescents aged 12-18 years) were collected from August to November 2020 during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The relationships between depressive symptoms, loneliness, and smartphone overdependence were analyzed using complex sample multiple logistic regression analyses.Results: One-quarter of adolescents had developed smartphone overdependence (30.0% of girls and 21.2% of boys). Smartphone overdependence was influenced by depressive symptoms and loneliness, regardless of sex.Conclusions: Appropriate interventions and policies should be developed to resolve smartphone overdependence by reducing adolescents’ depressive symptoms and loneliness. Appropriate help should be provided to these adolescents to promote good mental health. Psychological vulnerability should be considered when providing educational or health management programs to adolescents. Appropriate measures should be developed for the prevention and early screening of depressive symptoms, loneliness, and smartphone overdependence in adolescents, with increased interest in minimizing the related social problems.