Smartphone Addiction and Its Relationship with Mental Health Among Youth: An Analytical Literature Review
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Systematic Review
Abstract: Smartphone addiction has emerged as a significant public health concern among adolescents and young adults worldwide. Evidence from different cultural and geographical contexts indicates that problematic smartphone use has reached increasingly high prevalence rates among youth populations. This systematic review synthesizes findings from 30 empirical studies published between 2016 and 2026 to examine the relationship between smartphone addiction and mental health outcomes among young people.The findings consistently demonstrate that problematic smartphone use is significantly associated with a wide range of psychological difficulties, including depression, anxiety, stress, loneliness, sleep disturbances, and suicidal ideation. Across the reviewed studies, the magnitude of these associations ranged from moderate to strong, with reported correlation coefficients generally varying between r = 0.24 and r = 0.86. Several mediating mechanisms were identified, particularly sleep disruption, bedtime procrastination, loneliness, and difficulties in emotional regulation, which appear to explain how excessive smartphone use negatively affects psychological well-being. In addition, several moderating factors-including mindfulness, gender, circadian preference, physical activity, and perceived social support-were found to influence the strength of these relationships.Methodologically, most studies relied on cross-sectional designs and validated self-report measures; however, recent research has increasingly adopted more sophisticated analytical approaches, including longitudinal modeling, network analysis, and latent profile analysis. Despite the growing empirical evidence, important gaps remain regarding causal inference, theoretical integration, and the need for culturally diverse longitudinal investigations.Overall, this review highlights smartphone addiction as a multidimensional risk factor associated with adverse mental health outcomes among youth.The findings underscore the importance of developing evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies that address both problematic smartphone use and its underlying psychological mechanisms. The review also provides valuable implications for researchers, mental health professionals, educators, and policymakers seeking to promote digital well-being among adolescents and young adults.
Source: مجلة المنهج العلمي والسلوک
Language: Arabic
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7163913402