research paper topics on mobile phones

From “brick” to smartphone: the evolution of the mobile phone

• FEATURES POSTERMINARIES
• Published: 05 March 2021
• Volume 46 , pages 287–288, ( 2021 )

Cite this article

• Steve Moss 1  

8825 Accesses

1 Altmetric

Explore all metrics

Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.

Telephony began in the 1870s with the invention of the telephone. Alexander Graham Bell filed a patent for his version of the telephone at the US Patent Office in Washington, DC, on February 14, 1876, just a few hours before his competitor Elisha Gray filed his patent based upon independent work. 1 Since then, materials research has pushed this field of technology involving the development, application, and deployment of telecommunication services, particularly in recent years.

The proliferation of telephones did not make a great overnight leap. In fact, as late as 1950, only 62% of American households contained a telephone, 2 and that number had been significantly smaller before World War II. Most communications were by telegram, letter, or through face-to-face discussions. One significant hindrance to communication was natural disasters, which often led to long periods of no information between family and friends.

On the evening of January 3, 1949, a devastating tornado struck the small town of Warren, Ark. 3 The tornado left more than 50 dead and more than 300 injured. My dad’s parents, brother, sister-in-law, niece, and nephew, as well as many friends, lived in Warren at that time and were affected. Telephone lines were destroyed. My parents and I lived far away and had no way to get in contact with them. More than a week passed before we received word that they were okay.

My father later accepted a faculty position at Arkansas A&M College in Monticello, 16 miles from Warren, to be closer to his family. When we moved to a farm near the campus, our first telephone line was a party line, which consisted of a single channel shared by many people. This offered little in the way of privacy, as others outside of your household could listen to conversations. We eventually upgraded to a private landline. The phone was located in a central part of the house, and the cord was only a few feet long, which meant that you were essentially tethered to that spot when making or answering a call, not ideal for any teenager craving privacy.

People then didn’t have the luxury of cell phones, and instead often used pay phones by inserting money or calling collect. Jim Croce has a wonderful song, “Operator,” 4 about an unsuccessful attempt to connect with some old friends. I often wonder if younger people understand the significance of the lyrics, including the phrase “You can keep the dime.”

Today, humanity is more connected than ever through the use of cell phones. However, mobile phones didn’t start in their current, sleek style. The first mobile phone by Motorola in 1983 5 was so big and heavy that it was nicknamed “the brick.” Current phones are significantly more lightweight and compact and have the capability to text, email, access social media, access the Internet, and much more.

According to recent surveys, 75% of the world’s population owns a cell phone. 6 , 7 Surveys in 2019 indicated that there were 5.11 billion unique mobile phone users, and that 2.71 billion of them used smartphones. People from China (> 782 million users) and India (> 386 million users) are the largest consumers of smartphones, followed by the United States (> 235 million users).

If you search for technological advances that facilitated progress to the current state of cell phone technology, you will find lists that include the Internet, global positioning systems, touch screens, cameras, high-speed modems, displays, batteries, and a host of other materials and technologies. 8 , 9

The computers that drive recent smartphones have 64-bit architectures. 10 , 11 They are usually fabricated as a system-on-a-chip and include multiple cores and extra features, such as neural engines and embedded motion coprocessors. They contain cameras with more than 10 megapixels and multi-element lens systems and include zoom capabilities and two-axis stabilization. The phones support a wide variety of standard communication protocols, including accessibility features for those who wear hearing aids. Recent smartphone microprocessors have been built with fin field-effect transistors (finFETs) 12 manufactured at the 10 nm, 7 nm, and 5 nm processing scales. They also include a range of sensors, including for facial identification, a barometer, a three-axis gyro, an accelerometer, a proximity sensor, an ambient light sensor, a Hall sensor, and a RGB light sensor. 10 , 11

These systems are also designed to take advantage of fifth-generation (5G) cell phone networks with advantages in bandwidth and data rates (eventually up to 10 Gbps). 13

Integrating even a fraction of these capabilities into the early Motorola mobile phone would have likely expanded the size, weight, and power requirements well beyond what one person could have easily carried. (As I write this, an image of a famous body-builder, Arnold Schwarzenegger, struggling to lift this enhanced “brick” popped into my head, as he was trailed by a large generator on wheels to power the phone.) This does not factor in the fact that many of these technologies did not exist at the time.

Microelectronics has evolved through a range of technologies and materials developments over the years 14 , 15 that have affected transistors (bipolar junction transistors, various metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors, including finFETs), dielectrics (thermal oxides, high- k dielectrics), metallization (aluminum, polysilicon, copper, tungsten vias), high levels of integration, including multilayer metallization, and integration of billions of transistors per chip. Fabrication of modern microchips involves many hundreds of process steps that have to be performed within narrow tolerances. It is remarkable that these fabrication lines yield in numbers high enough to be economically viable. If any step falls outside of the tolerances, then yield can fall catastrophically. This would kick off an investigation to determine the root cause(s) of the problem and can shut down fabrication lines for long periods of time—an expensive proposition. Developing these technologies and the processes that allow them to be inserted into high-yield fabrication lines have occupied hordes of materials researchers for decades.

I could write similar discussions of materials advances in batteries, displays, touch screens, and camera systems that have relied on similar hordes of materials researchers. However, I’m out of space for this article, so those stories will have to wait until another time.

The features described, the ease of carrying modern cell phones, and their economic affordability are driving the surge in worldwide usage. Access to information is only as good as the information. We are constantly bombarded with inaccurate information as well as disinformation. Filtering all of that can be difficult and time consuming. Instantaneous access to information using cell phone and other electronic technologies provides the unwary with an opportunity to make huge mistakes quickly.

The use of landline phones reached a peak in the 2000s. Now they are down to around 40% of American households and declining. 16 I am one of those neo-Luddites who has chosen to keep my landline. I find that, for now, it gives me some comfort to have it available.

Warts and all, the proliferation of cell phone systems is good. Widespread outages due to local events are unlikely to destroy all cell towers in a local community. Therefore, people are likely to maintain some capability for communication, even if impacted by tornados such as the one on January 3, 1949, in Warren, Ark.

The invention of the telephone - Ericsson

https://www.statista.com/statistics/189959/housing-units-with-telephones-in-the-united-states-since-1920/

S. Beitler, A.R. Warren, Tornado destroys towns. GenDisasters (1949); http://www.gendisasters.com/arkansas/11233/warren-ar-tornado-destroys-towns-jan-1949

Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels) - Wikipedia

S. Wolpin, The first cellphone went on sale 30 years ago for $4,000. Mashable (2014); https://mashable.com/2014/03/13/first-cellphone-on-sale/

75% of the world's population owns a cell phone - PhoneArena

D. Metev, 39+ smartphone statistics you should know in 2020, Review 42 (2020); 39+ smartphone statistics you should know in 2020 (review42.com)

J. Gold, 11 tech breakthroughs that led to today’s smartphones. Computerworld (2017), https://www.computerworld.com/article/3222855/11-tech-breakthroughs-that-led-to-todays-smartphones.html

https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/computer-your-pocket-rise-smartphones

Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max - Full phone specifications ( gsmarena.com )

Specs | Samsung Galaxy S21 5G, S21+ 5G and S21 Ultra 5G | The Official Samsung Galaxy Site

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FinFET#:~:text=A%20fin%20field%2Deffect%20transistor,forming%20a%20double%20gate%20structure

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5G

B. Davari, R.H. Dennard, G.G. Shahidi, CMOS scaling for high performance and low power-the next ten years. Proc. IEEE 83 (4), 595 (1995)

Article   Google Scholar  

D.M. Fleetwood, Radiation effects in a post-Moore world. 2020 IEEE Nuclear & Space Radiation Effects Conference Short Course , K.F. Galloway, Ed. (2020), chapter I, pp. 1–81

E.K. Lieser, Study: only 40 percent of U.S. households have a landline. The National Interest (2020), https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/study-only-40-percent-us-households-have-landline-135212#:~:text=Today%2C%20that%20figure%20has%20plummeted,households%20utilized%20only%20wireless%20service

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Cambridge, UK

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Moss, S. From “brick” to smartphone: the evolution of the mobile phone. MRS Bulletin 46 , 287–288 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1557/s43577-021-00067-7

Download citation

Published : 05 March 2021

Issue Date : March 2021

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1557/s43577-021-00067-7

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Find a journal
• Publish with us
• Track your research

83 Cell Phone Essay Topics & Examples

If you’re willing to explore the pros and cons of mobile devices, you need to find a good cell phone topic. Read this list of ideas for argumentative essays, research papers, and speeches prepared by our team.

🏆 Best Cell Phone Topic Ideas & Essay Examples

👍 good cell phone essay topics, ❓ questions about cell phones for research paper.

• Are Cell Phone Dangerous? Among the first ideas to consider, the one that manifests the use of cell phones as the most logical phenomenon and the key feature of the XXI century is the fact that cellular communications are […]
• The Cellphone: The History and Technology of the Gadget that Changed the World This paper reviews the book The cellphone: the history and technology of the gadget that changed the world by Guy Klemens.
• Technology Impact: 24 Hours Without My Cell Phone I use my laptop extensively as I am a student and do most of my academic work with the help of this tool.
• Should Drivers of Automobiles Be Prohibited From Using Cellular Phones? Although all have the right to utilize the technology to the maximum, the situation or the environment that one is in significantly determines whether he/she has the right to use it. Use of cellular phones […]
• Digital Cell Phone Inc.’s Regression Analysis By taking a look at the trend in sales of the past 36 months I was able to apply the least square regression method and come up with the following equation which would allow me […]
• A Literature Review on Night Cell Phone Use in Adolescents In that regard, the problem lies in listing confirmed adverse health outcomes of night cell phone use and linking them to a potentially helpful intervention of cell phone use restrictions.
• Importance of Development of the Cellphone In the process of product development, it is highly recommended for MM distribute cell phones among a small group of potential consumers and ask them to provide feedback on it.
• Cell Phone Information and Investigation In conclusion, cell phone data can give a lot of information to the investigator about the cell phone owner, who can then simplify the investigation process.
• Cell Phone Privacy and the Constitution In this chapter, the authors investigate the concept of privacy and whether government employers’ warrantless searches may be considered reasonable and justified.
• Cell Phone Industry: Apple, Samsung, and Huawei Most significantly, the model culture at Huawei reveals the broad global culture practiced in the company internally and across all its various offices and locations. The regulation of the system comes from the people and […]
• Go Kase: Cell Phone Cases Distribution Channels On the other hand, the amount of advertising is so significant now that it is challenging to reach the required customers and get them to buy a product.
• Cell Phone Unlocking in the USA Phone unlocking is now a thing of the past in the United States of America. If the infringement of this law was done for commercial gain, it is considered a criminal act and is associated […]
• Cell Phone Use and Our Ability to Build Quality Interpersonal Relationships To be more precise, using a cell phone may have a positive effect on many relationships but, of course, only if the cell phones are not used inappropriately or excessively.
• What Makes Ultimate Cell Phone Cover Different From Other Products? The device is conveniently clear which makes it possible for the user to browse the different features of the device with ease.
• Customer Loyalty in Prepaid Cell Phone Industry The main business focus should be on customer retention and continuous buying by customers, hence in the end organizations will ensure customer satisfaction.
• Prepaid Cell Phone: Design and Development for AT&T As per field experts, a product is an item that can be put up for sale in the market for grabbing the attention, achievement, utilization, or consumption and would be capable of meeting the needs […]
• Cell Phone Trends in China, Japan, the US In the research for the demographical differences for the substantial usage of technology in China, Japan, and the United States, it will be necessary to ask the question: “what are the driving forces that entice […]
• Trends in Cell Phone Market: Data Collection In the constitution, the act of law provides the right of privacy, which may be used to bar data collectors from data access.
• Cell Phone Use and Driving: Mian vs. City of Ottawa However, the judge considers the disclosure of the disciplinary records to be irrelevant to the case. However, the Crown specifically stated that the disclosure of these records is not relevant to the case without O’Connor’s […]
• Cell Phone Use While Driving: Policy Analysis Therefore, in a public policy debate, proponents of regulation would argue that per capita healthcare savings and resulting QALY measures are significant enough to justify a ban on the use of private cellphones in driving […]
• The Supreme Court Saves Cell Phone Privacy From the article, it is clear that the government advanced an argument that police officers need to be given the power to search cellphones because of the long-established exception to the Fourth Amendment, which makes […]
• Cell Phone Radiofrequency Signal’s Health Effects Therefore, the authors of the study come to the conclusion that there is no connection between the risk of the development of tumors and the exploitation of cell phones.
• Cell Phone Use in Driving and Recommended Policies Auditory, when on phone, drivers shift their focus to the sound of the phone instead of listening to the adjoining atmosphere on the road.
• Technologies: Amateur Film vs. Cell Phone Photography An analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of the two forms of photography concludes the paper. Cellphone and film cameras have apertures that regulate the quantity of light passing to the sensor and film, respectively.
• Cell Phone as an Indispensable Companion It has brought a variety of innovative things for the user and to a substantial extent affected the way people relate in the globe.
• Cause and Effect of Cell Phone Usage Among High School Students from U.S. and Middle East A stratified random sampling will be used to divide the classes into strata from which a simple random sample of 20 students will then be selected from each class following the respective classes’ register which […]
• Innovations in the Cell Phone Industry and Sustainability The cell phone industry makes products that are friendly to the environment and develops mobile applications that can help in enhancing environmental sustainability.
• Effects and Causes of Cell Phone Usage Among Male It will specifically determine the various factors that may cause the use of cell phones among the male students, and how the use can affect the students in the several possible ways ranging from psychological […]
• “The Cellphone: The History and Technology of the Gadget That Changed the World” by Guy Klemens In order to bring the reader into the same level of understanding, the author has tackled the introductory topics on the bandwidth and radio systems and how the latter two concepts influenced the development of […]
• Analyzing Smart Blackberry Cell Phone The quality of services it renders the users and the advancement of its features will form the feasibility study in the aim of trying to compare it with related computerized mobile devices.
• The Effect of Cellphones and Internet on Teenagers From one point of view, it is possible to see that texting and using other features of a cell phone have become detrimental, but at the same time, there are some advantages to the communication […]
• Cell Phone Magnifier Market Cell phone manufacturers are now taking advantage of the exploding market of the aging Baby Boomers. Cell phone magnifiers are meant to cater for the needs of a special segment of the mobile phone users.
• Use of Cell Phones in Public Schools and Should Cell Phones Be Allowed in Public Schools The following themes are included: the patterns of cell phone use in public schools; the benefits and drawbacks of using cell phones in class; the Massachusetts cell phone policy; and possible methods to solve the […]
• Why Some People Choose Not to Carry Cellphones Thus, most of the times people who do not want to be victims of robbery go about their daily activities without their cellphones in order to limit their vulnerability to robberies.
• Is Using Cell Phone Dangerous? Research has further shown that “the side of the brain that is exposed to the ionizing radiations from the cell phone metabolizes more glucose than other parts that are not exposed to it”.
• Banning Cell Phone Use in Moving Vehicles Of course, some people will disagree and say.”Use of cell phones while driving is the same as talking to a passenger in a car”.
• A Theoretical Analysis of the Act of Cell Phone Texting While Driving The past decade has seen the cell phone become the most common communication gadget in the world, and the US has one of the highest rates of cell phone use.
• Drivers of Automobiles Should Be Prohibited From Using Cellular Phones While Driving When a driver is utilizing a hand-held or hands-free cellular phone at the same time as driving, she or he should dedicate part of their concentration to operating the handset and sustaining the phone discussion […]
• Should People Be Banned From Using Cell Phones When Driving? Why or Why Not? Many people have blamed the cell phones to the current high increases in the number of road accidents witnessed worldwide, while others argue that the use of mobile phones while driving is not wholly to […]
• The Dangers of Using Cell Phone While Driving The authors further note the subsequent increase in the count of persons conversing on cell phones while driving unaware of the risks they pose to themselves and their passengers.
• An Analysis of the Use of Cell Phones While Driving The first theory is the theory of mass society, and the second theory is the theory of the culture industry. The theory of mass society states that, popular culture is an intrinsic expression of the […]
• The Use of the Cell Phone While Driving Indeed, many of the culprits of this dangerous practice are teens and the youth, ordinarily the most ardent expressers of popular culture in a society.
• On Becoming a Cell Phone Junkie Although I must admit that cell phones have earned their merits as essential tools of existence in the new millennium, I do not subscribe to the idea that my life should depend on it.
• How to Control Mobile Phone Addiction?
• Why Is Cell Phone Radiation Harmful?
• Should Cell Phone Usage Improve Our Social?
• Why Has the Cell Phone Become a Staple in Modern World?
• How Do Cell and Cell Phone Impact Modern Education?
• Should Cell Phone Use Be Allowed While Driving?
• Are Cell Phone Laws in the U.S. Effective in Reducing Fatal Crashes Involving Young Drivers?
• Why Is Cell Phone Ban a Bad Idea?
• Should You Worry About Cell Phone, Cellular Antenna, and WI-Fi Device Radiation?
• How Did Cell Phones Have to Impact the World?
• Does Cell Phone Make People’s Lives Bring Lots of Harmful?
• How Has Cell Phone Use Become a Subculture?
• Are Handheld Cell Phone and Texting Bans Effective in Reducing Fatalities?
• How Might Cell Phone Money Change the Financial System?
• Are Modern People Computer and Cell Phone Addicted?
• Can Cell Phone Cause Brain Tumors?
• Should Cell Phones Be Allowed to Use in Classroom?
• What Does Cause Cell Phone Radiation and How Does It Affect Your Body?
• When Will Society Hang Up on Cell Phone Rudeness?
• Why Banning the Use of Cell Phones Should Be Mandatory Nationwide?
• Is It Possible to Have a Negative Impact of Mobile Phone Use on the Average per Capita Share in the Short Term?
• How Does 4G/3G/2G Switching Work?
• What Is the Relationship Between the Mobile Phone Usage Pattern and Financial Decision?
• How to Measure Mobile Phone Radiation in Poultry?
• What Are the Mobile Phone-Based Applications Useful for Agricultural Research?
• Are There Any Adverse Effects of Radiation From the Mobile Phone Towers?
• How Are Students Using Mobile Phones for Learning?
• Are We Becoming a Mobile/Smartphone Driven Nation?
• Can Mobile Phones Transmit Diseases?
• What Are Some of the Problems Caused by Mobile Phones?
• Technology Essay Ideas
• Motorola Essay Topics
• iPhone Topics
• Lenovo Research Topics
• Manufacturing Essay Topics
• Vodafone Research Ideas
• Blackberry Topics
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2024, February 23). 83 Cell Phone Essay Topics & Examples. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/cell-phone-essay-examples/

"83 Cell Phone Essay Topics & Examples." IvyPanda , 23 Feb. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/topic/cell-phone-essay-examples/.

IvyPanda . (2024) '83 Cell Phone Essay Topics & Examples'. 23 February.

IvyPanda . 2024. "83 Cell Phone Essay Topics & Examples." February 23, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/cell-phone-essay-examples/.

1. IvyPanda . "83 Cell Phone Essay Topics & Examples." February 23, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/cell-phone-essay-examples/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "83 Cell Phone Essay Topics & Examples." February 23, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/cell-phone-essay-examples/.

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

• Basic site functions
• Ensuring secure, safe transactions
• Secure account login
• Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
• Remembering privacy and security settings
• Analyzing site traffic and usage
• Personalized search, content, and recommendations
• Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

• Remembering general and regional preferences
• Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy .

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy .

Presentations made painless

• Get Premium

103 Smartphone Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

In today's digital age, smartphones have become an essential part of our daily lives. From communication to entertainment, these devices have revolutionized the way we interact with the world around us. With so many different aspects of smartphones to explore, there are countless essay topics that can be written about this versatile technology. Here are 103 smartphone essay topic ideas and examples to get you started:

• The impact of smartphones on society
• The evolution of smartphone technology
• The role of smartphones in education
• The effects of smartphone addiction
• How smartphones have changed the way we communicate
• The benefits of using smartphones for productivity
• The dangers of distracted driving due to smartphone use
• Smartphone privacy concerns and data security
• The influence of smartphones on mental health
• The future of smartphone technology
• The importance of smartphone accessibility for people with disabilities
• The use of smartphones in healthcare
• The role of smartphones in disaster response and recovery
• The impact of smartphone use on relationships
• The rise of mobile gaming on smartphones
• The environmental impact of smartphone production and disposal
• The influence of smartphone advertising on consumer behavior
• Smartphone tracking and surveillance
• The globalization of smartphone technology
• The role of smartphones in social activism
• The effects of smartphone use on sleep patterns
• The impact of smartphones on children's development
• The use of smartphones in journalism and citizen reporting
• The influence of smartphones on fashion and design
• The benefits of using smartphones for travel and navigation
• The role of smartphones in political campaigns
• The effects of smartphone use on memory and cognitive function
• The use of smartphones in emergency response situations
• The influence of smartphones on language and communication skills
• The ethical implications of smartphone technology
• The impact of smartphones on the music industry
• The benefits of using smartphones for remote work
• The effects of smartphone use on physical health
• The role of smartphones in e-commerce and online shopping
• The influence of smartphones on cultural trends
• The use of smartphones in disaster preparedness and response
• The impact of smartphones on the environment
• The benefits of using smartphones for fitness and health tracking
• The effects of smartphone use on socialization and relationships
• The role of smartphones in urban planning and development
• The influence of smartphones on fashion and beauty trends
• The use of smartphones in public transportation and urban mobility
• The benefits of using smartphones for language learning
• The effects of smartphone use on attention span and focus
• The role of smartphones in virtual reality and augmented reality experiences
• The influence of smartphones on social media and online communities
• The use of smartphones in disaster response and recovery efforts
• The impact of smartphones on job creation and economic development
• The benefits of using smartphones for remote learning and education
• The effects of smartphone use on creativity and innovation
• The role of smartphones in political activism and advocacy
• The influence of smartphones on cultural diversity and inclusion
• The use of smartphones in wildlife conservation and environmental protection
• The impact of smartphones on journalism and media reporting
• The benefits of using smartphones for financial management and budgeting
• The effects of smartphone use on mental health and well-being
• The role of smartphones in public safety and emergency response
• The influence of smartphones on art and creative expression
• The impact of smartphones on travel and tourism industries
• The benefits of using smartphones for language translation
• The effects of smartphone use on social interactions and relationships
• The role of smartphones in healthcare and telemedicine
• The influence of smartphones on political participation and civic engagement
• The use of smartphones in wildlife conservation and environmental protection efforts
• The impact of smartphones on global trade and commerce
• The benefits of using smartphones for environmental monitoring and research
• The effects of smartphone use on physical health and well-being
• The role of smartphones in disaster response and recovery efforts

As you can see, there are a wide variety of essay topics that can be explored when it comes to smartphones. Whether you're interested in the social, economic, environmental, or technological aspects of this technology, there is sure to be a topic that piques your interest. So go ahead and start writing about the fascinating world of smartphones!

Want to research companies faster?

Instantly access industry insights

Let PitchGrade do this for me

Leverage powerful AI research capabilities

We will create your text and designs for you. Sit back and relax while we do the work.

Explore More Content

• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Service

© 2024 Pitchgrade

Articles on Mobile phones

Displaying 1 - 20 of 244 articles.

Here’s how to maintain healthy smartphone habits

Shelia R. Cotten , Clemson University

For successful school phone bans, school administrators and parents need to support teachers

Sachin Maharaj , L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

How AI features in smartphones are reducing their dependence on the cloud

John Chiverton , University of Portsmouth

Mobile phones are not linked to brain cancer, according to a major review of 28 years of research

Sarah Loughran , University of Wollongong and Ken Karipidis , Monash University

We looked at all the recent evidence on mobile phone bans in schools – this is what we found

Marilyn Campbell , Queensland University of Technology and Elizabeth J Edwards , The University of Queensland

Should you be checking your kid’s phone? How to know when your child is ready for ‘phone privacy’

Joanne Orlando , Western Sydney University

Why the American technological war against China could backfire

Shaun Narine , St. Thomas University (Canada)

How smartphones weaken attention spans in children and adults

Ignacio Blanco-Alfonso , Universidad CEU San Pablo and María Solano Altaba , Universidad CEU San Pablo

When to give your child their first mobile phone – and how to keep them safe

Andy Phippen , Bournemouth University

Optus has revealed the cause of the major outage. Could it happen again?

Mark A Gregory , RMIT University

Optus blackout explained: what is a ‘deep network’ outage and what may have caused it?

Paul Haskell-Dowland , Edith Cowan University ; Mark A Gregory , RMIT University , and Mohiuddin Ahmed , Edith Cowan University

Traditional farming knowledge should be stored for future use: the technology to do this is available

Mourine Sarah Achieng , University of South Africa

Should you charge your phone overnight? Will ‘overcharging’ make it explode? Common battery myths debunked

Ritesh Chugh , CQUniversity Australia

Why a ban on cellphones in schools might be more of a distraction than the problem it’s trying to fix

Eunice Gaerlan , Auckland University of Technology

Banning cellphones in classrooms is not a quick fix for student  well-being

Lana Parker , University of Windsor

Do smartphones belong in classrooms? Four scholars weigh in

Louis-Philippe Beland , Carleton University ; Arnold Lewis Glass , Rutgers University ; Daniel G. Krutka , University of North Texas , and Sarah Rose , University of Staffordshire

Why can’t I use my phone or take photos on the airport tarmac? Is it against the law?

Doug Drury , CQUniversity Australia

The dirty truth about your phone – and why you need to stop scrolling in the bathroom

Primrose Freestone , University of Leicester

Emergency alert system launches in the UK: should you be worried about privacy?

Stergios Aidinlis , Keele University

Here’s how the Rogers-Shaw merger could benefit Canadian customers

Victor Song , Simon Fraser University

Related Topics

• Digital economy
• Mobile apps
• Smartphones
• Telecommunications

Top contributors

Professor of Strategy, Frankfurt School of Finance and Management

Professor, Computer Networking and Telecommunications, University of Salford

Senior Lecturer in Networking, The Open University

Associate Professor, School of Engineering, RMIT University

Professor of Health Psychology, University of Wollongong

Associate Professor in Telecommunications Engineering, Swinburne University of Technology

Emeritus Professor in Public Health, University of Sydney

Associate Professor, Informatics and Operations, Kingston University

Researcher: Digital Literacy and Digital Wellbeing, Western Sydney University

Director of UWA Centre for Software Practice, The University of Western Australia

Professor of Applied Cognitive Psychology, The Open University

Senior Research Fellow, Department of Anthropology, Durham University

Director Radiation Research and Advice, Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA), and Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Wollongong

Professor of Organisational Behaviour, Bayes Business School, City St George's, University of London

Professor in Digital Arts, Royal Holloway University of London

• X (Twitter)
• Unfollow topic Follow topic

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock Locked padlock icon ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

• Publications
• Account settings
• Advanced Search
• Journal List

Is smartphone addiction really an addiction?

Tayana panova, xavier carbonell.

• Author information
• Article notes
• Copyright and License information

Corresponding author: Tayana Panova; The Department of Psychology, Ramon Llull University, Passeig de Sant Gervasi, 47, 08022 Barcelona, Spain; E-mail: [email protected]

Received 2017 Jul 13; Revised 2018 Feb 9; Revised 2018 May 12; Accepted 2018 May 13; Issue date 2018 Jun.

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium for non-commercial purposes, provided the original author and source are credited, a link to the CC License is provided, and changes – if any – are indicated.

In light of the rise in research on technological addictions and smartphone addiction in particular, the aim of this paper was to review the relevant literature on the topic of smartphone addiction and determine whether this disorder exists or if it does not adequately satisfy the criteria for addiction.

We reviewed quantitative and qualitative studies on smartphone addiction and analyzed their methods and conclusions to make a determination on the suitability of the diagnosis “addiction” to excessive and problematic smartphone use.

Although the majority of research in the field declares that smartphones are addictive or takes the existence of smartphone addiction as granted, we did not find sufficient support from the addiction perspective to confirm the existence of smartphone addiction at this time. The behaviors observed in the research could be better labeled as problematic or maladaptive smartphone use and their consequences do not meet the severity levels of those caused by addiction.

Discussion and conclusions

Addiction is a disorder with severe effects on physical and psychological health. A behavior may have a similar presentation as addiction in terms of excessive use, impulse control problems, and negative consequences, but that does not mean that it should be considered an addiction. We propose moving away from the addiction framework when studying technological behaviors and using other terms such as “problematic use” to describe them. We recommend that problematic technology use is to be studied in its sociocultural context with an increased focus on its compensatory functions, motivations, and gratifications.

Keywords: smartphones, addiction, technology, mobile phones, Internet, problematic use

Introduction

The recent development of the multifunctional smartphone and its subsequent global popularity has changed the communication and information landscape; remolded the interests, values, and desires of many users; and triggered concerns around the world about overuse and addiction. In the past few years, there has been a surge in literature on behavioral addictions to studying ( Atroszko, Andreassen, Griffiths, & Pallesen, 2015 ), tanning ( Nolan & Feldman, 2009 ), cosmetic surgery ( Suissa, 2008 ), Argentinean tango ( Targhetta, Nalpas, & Perney, 2013 ), Harry Potter ( Rudski, Segal, & Kallen, 2009 ), and various other potential topics. This increase in interest is particularly notable in the discussion on mobile phone addiction ( Bianchi & Phillips, 2005 ; Billieux, Maurage, Lopez-Fernandez, Kuss, & Griffiths, 2015 ; Chóliz, 2010 ; Pedrero, Rodríguez, & Ruiz, 2012 ), which has more recently evolved into smartphone addiction.

Mobile phones and smartphones are both mobile, personal devices that indicate social identity and status, but the main differentiating feature between them is that a smartphone has permanent access to the Internet and consequently all of the Internet’s appealing and problematic content. Smartphones provide numerous gratifications, such as sociability, entertainment, information finding, time management, coping strategies, and social identity maintenance ( Bian & Leung, 2015 ; Kuss, Kanjo, et al., 2018 ; Kwon et al., 2013 ; Lin et al., 2014 ; Skierkowski & Wood, 2012 ). The smartphone has become an essential part of daily life and research has shown that certain people become so attached to their device that they experience separation anxiety when it is not with them ( Cheever, Rosen, Carrier, & Chavez, 2014 ; King et al., 2013 ). The device can even be comforting in times of stress, offering a “security blanket” effect whereby the initial negative response to a stressor is lowered in a similar way that occurs with children and a comfort object like a blanket ( Panova & Lleras, 2016 ).

The smartphone’s popularity and users’ deep connection with it has therefore awoken concerns about its addiction potential. The American Psychiatric Association ( APA, 2013 ) first categorized a behavior – gambling – as a non-substance-related addictive disorder and recommends further research on Internet gaming disorder. However, at this time, no mention has been made of smartphone addiction in either the DSM-5 or in the ICD-11’s draft. Nevertheless, research on smartphone and mobile phone addiction has notably increased in recent years ( Aljomaa, Mohammad, Albursan, Bakhiet, & Abduljabbar, 2016 ; Bian & Leung, 2015 ; Chiu, 2014 ; Darcin et al., 2016 ; Demirci, Akgönül, & Akpinar, 2015 ; Fu Yuan, Chiu, & Huang, 2012 ; Haug et al., 2015 ; Hawi & Samaha, 2016 ; Körmendi, Brutóczki, Végh, & Székely, 2016 ; Leung, 2007 ; Lin et al., 2014 ; Lopez-Fernandez, 2015 ; Roberts, Pullig, & Manolis, 2015 ; Salehan & Negahban, 2013 ; Van Deursen, Bolle, Hegner, & Kommers, 2015 ) and there seems to be a rising tendency to label popular technological behaviors as addictive.

Even though the disorder is not recognized in psychiatry manuals, screening studies estimate that smartphone addiction ranges from anywhere between just above 0% and 35%, with one study reporting that 48% of undergraduate university students were smartphone addicted ( Aljomaa et al., 2016 ), and the most frequent range being between 10% and 20% (see Billieux, Maurage, et al., 2015 and Carbonell et al., 2012 for a review). However, most of these studies use self-report measures, thereby relying on the accuracy of users’ perceptions about their own use, and each study uses different methods and questionnaires to determine the existence of addiction.

Before pathologizing technology-related behaviors, it is important to analyze them in context. For example, there has been a considerable amount of research conducted on smartphone addiction in countries, such as South Korea, China, and Taiwan ( Carbonell, Guardiola, Fuster, Gil, & Panova, 2016 ; Sánchez-Carbonell, Guardiola, Bellés, & Beranuy, 2005 ). It has been suggested that this may be because the cultural norms in some Asian societies make it difficult for people to find the time and opportunity to freely socialize with one another and be themselves, which in turn contributes to the high use of personal mobile devices ( Ito, 2005 ). Other culturally oriented studies have highlighted how the values of certain cultures are reflected and expressed in mobile phone behavior ( Horst & Miller, 2005 ; Leonardi, Leonardi, & Hudson, 2006 ). These studies suggest that the sociocultural context has an important influence on why and how certain smartphone behaviors occur and therefore should be considered when studying problematic use. Professional, social, and academic contexts should also be considered when studying problematic smartphone behavior, because much of smartphone use is dependent on professional, social, or academic demands.

Most of the smartphone addiction studies at the moment focus on discovering what percentage of the sample are smartphone-addicted and then looking for correlations between the addiction scores with various other behaviors and characteristics. However, at this time, there is not a strict set of standardized criteria applied to the diagnosis of smartphone addicts. Moreover, a critical analysis of whether smartphone use can even be considered addictive has not been conducted. With all the above in mind, this paper is going to consider whether smartphones can be considered addictive by analyzing the literature on the subject through the lens of addiction criteria and determining whether the concern about “smartphone addiction” is merited.

Smartphone Addiction Analyzed Through Addiction Criteria

In order for substance and behavioral addictions to be comparable, they must share the core symptoms of the disorder and have many similarities in phenomenology and adverse consequences. According to Goodman ( 1990 ), addiction defines a condition whereby a problematic behavior is characterized by (a) recurrent failure to control the behavior and (b) continuation of the behavior despite significant negative consequences. The well-accepted symptoms of addiction proposed by Griffiths are mood modification, tolerance, salience, withdrawal symptoms, conflict, and relapse ( Griffiths, 1995 , 2005 ). However, the descriptions of these criteria can cover a broad-spectrum of severity, which can be more or less significant. Recently, Saunders et al. ( 2017 ) stated that in the ICD-11 draft, the primary features of substance dependence are (a) a strong internal drive to use the substance, coupled with an impaired ability to control that use; (b) increasing priority given to using the substance than doing other activities; and (c) persistence of use despite harm and adverse consequences. On the topic of behavioral addiction specifically, Kardefelt-Winther et al. ( 2017 ) proposed a definition of two components: (a) significant functional impairment or distress as a direct consequence of the behavior and (b) persistence over time. We can therefore summarize the theoretical definition of addiction from its various sources by two key points: the (severe) harm, impairment, or negative consequences and the psychological (craving, salience, and loss of control) and physical dependence (tolerance and withdrawal) that leads one to carry on the behavior. At this point, we will review the critical criteria for addiction and determine how well smartphone addiction satisfies them.

Significant functional impairment

One of the essential features of a behavioral addiction should be the functional impairment in clinical settings ( Kardefelt-Winther et al., 2017 ). If the harm is not significantly severe, the disorder would be better classified as problematic or maladaptive use or else considered as a side effect/manifestation of another primary disorder. The screening studies have indicated negative consequences associated with high smartphone use, such as interpersonal and academic problems ( Bian & Leung, 2015 ; Darcin et al., 2016 ; Hawi & Samaha, 2016 ; Murdock, 2013 ). However, although face-to-face relationships may suffer with the prioritization of smartphone use over in vivo interaction and academic achievement may be negatively impacted by high use, these problems can also be associated with a variety of other reasons and stressors that are not considered to fall in the category of addiction.

A subsection of functional impairment related to addiction is also financial problems. With drug addictions, gambling addiction and others, one of the primary problems is the significant loss of money associated with maintaining the addiction. When Billieux, Van der Linden, and Rochat ( 2008 ) built the Problematic Mobile Phone Use Questionnaire (PMPU-Q), one of the dimensions they looked at was the financial problems associated with mobile phone use. However, this dimension has been excluded in the Problematic Mobile Phone Use Questionnaire – Revised ( Kuss, Harkin, Kanjo, & Billieux, 2018 ), because the new use policies and rates of telecommunications companies make it insignificant, once again highlighting the importance of a technology-related behavior’s sociocultural context.

It is also important to consider that although many studies have addressed the issue of smartphone addiction, it has not been reported in any of those reviewed that the researchers or the ethics committees in the universities felt the ethical obligation to provide a psychological treatment to the “phone addicts” identified in the research. This is itself an important indicator of the level of functional impairment exhibited by “addictive” smartphone use. It is necessary to distinguish serious psychopathology, such as addiction from passion, high engagement, lack of adaptive, self-control, or coping strategies, so that we do not undermine the severity of mental disorders ( Carbonell & Panova, 2017 ; Petry & O’Brien, 2013 ).

Severe physical consequences

One main characteristic of an addiction is the impairment of physical health. Smokers have little psychological impairment, but they suffer from demonstrable physical harm. This does not seem to be the case for smartphone use. There are no more physical consequences than mild tendinitis ( Fernandez-Guerrero, 2014 ) and anecdotal reports of suffering from lightheadedness or blurred vision, pain in the wrists, or at the back of the neck and urban incidents from people talking/texting while walking.

Tolerance, in the framework of mobile phone addiction, has been described as “ a gradual increase in mobile phone use to obtain the same level of satisfaction, as well as the need to substitute operative devices with the new models that appear on the market ” ( Chóliz, 2010 ). In the screening studies, the factor analysis put many items about loss of control in a tolerance factor, i.e, “ I try cutting my smartphone usage time, but I fail ” ( Kim, Lee, Lee, Nam, & Chung, 2014 ) and “ I use smartphone for a longer period of time and spend more money than I intended ” ( Lin et al., 2014 ). The number of hours employed on the phone is used as criteria without considering that smartphone use is a normalized part of everyday life in many societies today even when engaged with very frequently ( Kardefelt-Winther et al., 2017 ); therefore, increase in use should not be a valid criterion.

Other items used in questionnaires are vague, such as “ I need to spend an increasing amount of time on smartphone to achieve same satisfaction as before ” ( Lin et al., 2014 ). Although tolerance may be a true aspect of smartphone use, variables such as satisfaction and enjoyment are rarely operationalized and standardized, thereby leaving them open to interpretation by each participant. In addition, without exploring the motivations behind increased use of the smartphone, its consequences cannot be categorized as indicative of a disorder. For some, higher use of the device could mean being more active at work or increasing one’s social circle. As Billieux et al. ( 2014 ) concluded, inferring tolerance based on the increasing use of the mobile phone is highly tentative. Similarly, King, Herd, and Delfabbro ( 2018 ) conclude that the use of time spent with a technology as a measure of tolerance may be simple and objective but can be criticized, because it does not capture the essence of what people are actually doing with the technology and why. This same reasoning can be applied to smartphone-related tolerance measures, such as “time on the phone” or “number of messages.” Increased time on the smartphone and higher messaging behavior can be indicators of problematic use or they may indicate a promotion at work, new friends, etc. Therefore, a deeper analysis of motivations and gratifications associated with the behaviors is necessary.

In the Smartphone Addiction Scale ( Kwon et al., 2013 ), the item “ Having my smartphone in my mind even when I am not using it ” relates to the concept of salience. In Griffiths’ ( 2005 ) component model of addiction, salience is when the activity in question becomes the most important activity to the user and dominates their thinking. Although many smartphone users may agree that they think about the smartphone frequently, even when they are not using it, so much of a user’s social, professional, and personal life is mediated through the smartphone that we would argue it is reasonable for the device to be at the forefront of one’s thoughts and that this does not constitute an indicator of addiction.

It is not mandatory that a substance produces withdrawal to be considered a substance-use disorder (i.e., hallucinogens) and, besides that, withdrawal is not one of the criteria for gambling disorder ( APA, 2013 , p. 585). In the case of Internet gaming disorder, Kaptsis, King, Delfabbro, and Gradisar ( 2016 ) also concluded after a systematic review that available evidence on the existence of true addictive withdrawal in Internet gaming is very underdeveloped. But scholars in smartphone addiction found that some items could be grouped in a withdrawal factor when questionnaires were administered to their samples. Examples of items loading the withdrawal factor are: “ I feel restless and irritable when the smartphone is unavailable ” ( Lin et al., 2014 ), “ It would be painful if I am not allowed to use smartphone ” ( Kim et al., 2014 ), and “ Bringing my smartphone to the toilet even when I am in a hurry to get there ” ( Kwon et al., 2013 ). However, this reported discomfort of being far from the smartphone must be viewed in context.

For most users, after a period of time and adaptation, the multifaceted functionality of the smartphone becomes an essential part of everyday life, therefore not having it on hand leads to the need for restructuring and adapting one’s regular activities, something which is always initially uncomfortable and/or stressful. In addition, being far from the device can be a stressful state for many because of the awareness that their contacts, both personal and professional, will feel displeasure and/or offense at being ignored ( Thomée, Dellve, Harenstam, & Hagberg, 2010 ). Therefore, the reaction of stress at having this important tool missing is not abnormal. It is also important to note that smartphones are often expensive and contain sensitive personal information; therefore, a primary stressor during their absence may be a fear that the device can fall into the wrong hands, get damaged, or get stolen, which are normal reactions when viewed in context.

Loss of control

Loss of control is, besides craving and salience, a component of psychological dependence ( Sánchez-Carbonell, Beranuy, Castellana, Chamarro, & Oberst, 2008 ). In the case of smartphone use, the loss of control exhibited is still far beneath the threshold of severity that would merit clinical attention. Again, the screening test literature supports the evidence of psychological dependence and loss of control, but the level of its severity is not often reported or standardized. For example, items of loss of control are “ I try to spend less time on smartphone, but the efforts were in vain ” (see Lin et al., 2014 ); “ I fail to control the impulse to use smartphone ” (see Lin et al., 2014 ); and “ I find myself engaged on the mobile phone for longer periods of time than intended ” (see Bianchi & Phillips, 2005 ). However, even when a university student rates this type of item high on a Likert scale, the answer does not necessarily have clinical relevance ( Billieux, Schimmenti, Khazaal, Maurage, & Heeren, 2015 ; Kardefelt-Winther, 2015 ). If there is not a perceived severe consequence associated with failure to limit smartphone use and if there are perceived benefits of the activities on the smartphone, then this type of “loss of control” is not indicative of a “disorder.”

Stability of the dysfunctional behavior

There are no longitudinal studies to confirm stability and durability of the disorder. In behavioral and substance addictions, spontaneous remission ( Stall & Biernacki, 1986 ; Walters, 2000 ) may occur not because the disorder occurs and then spontaneously disappears but because there is no real disorder in the first place. However, there is insufficient research on the topic to make conclusions in this regard.

This condition is very distressing and harmful in substance addicts ( Marlatt & Gordon, 1985 ), but there is no information about relapse with the presumed smartphone addiction. However, this may be because there are no clinical samples and longitudinal studies.

“Better explained by”

Finally, one important criterion is that the disorder is not better explained by another condition. For example, the criteria B for gambling disorder is “The gambling behavior is not better explained by a manic episode” ( APA, 2013 ). As Billieux et al. ( 2014 ) have commented in their case study, “Thalia” could fit the criteria for mobile phone addiction but her condition could be better understood through a psychological process-based clinical formulation where the irrational beliefs about the self, the dependent relationship-maintenance style, the insecure attachment style, the low impulse control in emotional contexts, the repetitive negative thoughts, and the reassurance behaviors could better explain her mobile phone overuse. According to Billieux et al. ( 2014 ), this overuse should not be directly targeted by a psychological intervention but will improve as the emotional distress improves. The negative effects associated with smartphone use may therefore be better explained by other conditions in many other instances.

Issues with the Screening Studies

At present, we want to point out that the symptoms of smartphone addiction have been identified in screening and correlational studies with healthy people (many of the university students) instead of clinical samples (not identified). It is worth stating that Billieux, Schimmenti, et al. ( 2015 ); Carbonell and Panova ( 2017 ); and Kardefelt-Winther et al. ( 2017 ) have already criticized in detail how these studies give undue support to behavioral addictions and the same analysis could be applied to the smartphone. In the studies, the “addictive” use of the phone is first described according to a variety of psychological symptoms like excessive use, high economic cost, academic, work and family relationship impairment, tolerance, salience, withdrawal, and so on using a variety of diverse scales and questionnaires. After the often arbitrary definition of addictive smartphone use is outlined, screening tools identify the “addicts,” estimate their prevalence and correlate the “disorder” with various intrapsychic measures, such as shyness ( Bian & Leung, 2015 ), stress ( Chiu, 2014 ; Van Deursen et al., 2015 ), depression ( Demirci et al., 2015 ; Elhai, Levine, Dvorak, & Hall, 2016 ), self-esteem ( Fu Yuan et al., 2012 ), life satisfaction ( Hawi & Samaha, 2016 ), loneliness ( Bian & Leung, 2015 ), and self-perceived sleep disturbances ( Demirci et al., 2015 ) among others.

Regarding these studies, let us address some primary concerns: (a) there is a lack of longitudinal studies to confirm the disorder’s stability; (b) the screening instruments used are not valid for diagnosis; (c) there is a large probability of false positives; (d) there are many arbitrarily designed items like “ eleven or more calls or SMS messages per day (high use) ” (i.e, Thomée, Härenstam, & Hagberg, 2011 ); (e) exploratory studies rely on self-report data, which are collected using convenience samples; and (f) there is a lack of consistency in methodology, definitions, measurement, cut-off scores, and diagnostic criteria across studies. These concerns highlight the general lack of construct validity surrounding smartphone addiction research and the consequent lack of strength of its conclusions.

To study clinical-level impairment such as addiction, it is recommended to assess the functional impairment in clinical settings, supported by a health professional, rather than through surveys implemented in a healthy population ( Kardefelt-Winther et al., 2017 ). There is one case study reported in the academic literature on mobile phone addiction, in which the authors conclude that “… social network addiction is a better concept to describe Anette’s case than the cell phone addiction ” ( Körmendi et al., 2016 ). There is one other mobile phone addiction case study ( Billieux et al., 2014 ), but its presentation has only a pedagogical purpose.

Smartphone as an Object

The smartphone is a physical object used to access the Internet and its content. In comparison with substance addiction, this object would be like the glass in alcohol addiction or the needle in heroin addiction. “Needle addiction” ( Levine, 1974 ) and “bottle addiction” are visual words and are accepted in colloquial language, but the addiction is to the substance not to the vessel or to the route of administration. There is a tendency in research on this subject to address smartphones as a single addictive entity, measuring the level of “smartphone use” or “smartphone addiction,” although the smartphone itself is causing the problems in the way that a drug does. The physical, mobile aspect of the smartphone facilitates problematic Internet behaviors (i.e., obsessive social media use, porn, and gambling addiction) by making them accessible anytime and anywhere and therefore increasing how often they are used, but the problem is not the smartphone device itself. The problems arising from smartphone use are dependent on what activities the user engages with while on the smartphone, the motivations for engaging with these activities, and the gratifications received from them which then reinforce continued use ( Jeong, Kim, Yum, & Hwang, 2016 ; Lopez-Fernandez et al., 2017 ).

Confusing Smartphone Addiction with Other Addictions

In the discussion on technological addictions, it is important to distinguish between addictions to the Internet and addictions on the Internet ( Király et al., 2014 ). When a pathological gambler uses the Internet to play poker, it is more accurately an addiction on the Internet, secondary to his first problem (gambling). Another prevalent activity on the smartphone is game playing ( Balakrishnan & Griffiths, 2018 ; Lopez-Fernandez, Männikkö, Kääriäinen, Griffiths, & Kuss, 2018 ). Balakrishnan and Griffiths ( 2018 ) found frequent claims of “addictiveness” of smartphone games by game players; however, in this scenario, the potential addiction would be to the gaming behavior specifically, not to the device as a whole. Thus, to use the smartphone for gambling or to engage in other addictive behaviors should not be confused with a smartphone addiction ( Lopez-Fernandez et al., 2017 ).

Related to the above is the issue of the relationship between “smartphone addiction” and “Internet addiction.” The smartphone is used to access the Internet; therefore, if there is an addictive problem, it is with the Internet and not with the smartphone. This same reasoning has been used to distinguish between an Internet addiction and addictions to specific activities carried out on the network, with one of the most prevalent behaviors online being social networking ( Jeong et al., 2016 ; Muñoz-Miralles et al., 2013 ; Pontes, Szabo, & Griffiths, 2015 ; Salehan & Negahban, 2013 ). Since many people access their social networks on their device, it can lead to the impression of device addiction; however, the rationale of distinguishing the platform from the behavior needs to be observed. We argue that common behaviors conducted on the smartphone, such as specific Internet uses, social networking, and gaming, should be cautiously explored in the context of their own motivations, gratifications, and sociocultural context and not as components of a smartphone addiction.

Terminology

As we previously stated in the study of Carbonell and Panova ( 2017 ), the problems associated with the conceptualization and acceptance of technological and behavioral addictions may be, to a great degree, an issue related to the terminology. We would argue that it is unlikely that the majority of scientists in this field believe smartphone “addiction” is comparable to heroin or tobacco addiction in terms of the severity and/or associated health problems; however, there is no other accepted term for a behavior that manifests similar problems with a lack of self-control, attachment, high use, and problematic consequences. Therefore, for lack of a better word, “addiction” has become an accepted umbrella term. However, this is a problem because extending the term “addiction” to conditions better described as problematic or maladaptive use can undermine the integrity of this term and the severity of disorders that truly merit it. It can also misguide the research and treatment efforts for the current problem, because they are being designed within an addiction framework when in actuality a different approach may be more suitable and effective. Therefore, the authors propose seeking a different term to associate with this problem in the academic literature, such as problematic use. In fact, recent papers on the topic use alternative terms such as “problematic smartphone use” ( Kuss, Kanjo, et al., 2018 ) or “self-reported dependence on mobile phones” ( Lopez-Fernandez et al., 2017 ).

Conclusions

The aim of this study was to critically consider whether smartphone addiction exists. After reviewing the literature on smartphone addiction, we have concluded that the weakness of screening and correlational studies, the scarcity of the case and longitudinal studies, the vague definitions of the criteria for smartphone addiction, and the lack of severe psychological or physical consequences associated with it do not support the existence of smartphone addiction at this time and we therefore suggest moving away from an addiction framework when addressing and studying this issue.

Although certain parallels exist between classically defined addiction and high use of the smartphone, the levels of severity for smartphone use are much lower, an important fact since severity of impairment is one of the primary criteria for distinguishing between addiction and problematic behavior. A person who bites their nails compulsively also exhibits self-harm, loss of control, physical consequences, relapse, and craving, but we do not label it a nail-biting addiction. It is important not to diagnose excessive, maladaptive, or problematic behavior as an addictive in order to avoid generating false epidemics of misidentified pseudopatients ( Frances & Widiger, 2012 ) and pathologizing common behaviors ( Kardefelt-Winther et al., 2017 ).

It is important to note that research shows that smartphone use is associated with various problems. In correlational studies, overuse of the smartphone is associated with various mental health concerns, such as anxiety, depression, stress, and low self-esteem (for a review, see Elhai et al., 2016 ; Panova & Lleras, 2016 ). However, the existence of negative consequences is not the same as the existence of addiction. We would like to shift the perspective on this issue away from an addiction framework and view smartphone use in a context that considers the compensatory functions of the device and how it interacts with the user’s needs, desires, and primary disorders.

One reason that smartphone use may be pathologized is because the role the device plays in people’s lives is not yet fully understood. Surrat ( 1999 ) has explained how the limited understanding of any new information and communication technologies is often taken advantage of by the media who capitalize on the suspicion that accompanies new technological developments and publish sensationalist news stories about addictions and psychopathology, which contribute to the social construction of a pathology. More recently, Frances and Widiger ( 2012 ) have detailed a background of overdiagnosis in mental health. In our opinion, to consider intensive smartphone use a disorder in the same category as cocaine or alcohol addiction undermines the severity of addiction.

In summary, the smartphone’s defining features – portable, quick, convenient, and private – may facilitate the access to certain problematic behaviors and the corresponding rewards received from them that make the behaviors more frequent, but addiction is more than a matter of impulse-control and excessive behavior. Therefore, although the media may turn to terminology such as “addiction” because it seems like the closest metaphor for the technology-related behavioral problems, we are observing in society today, we believe it is the responsibility of academics to use more accurate language and diagnostic terms and at the current moment the research does not support the claim that addiction is a correct term for the problems associated with smartphone use. The use of smartphones and other devices are associated with various negative consequences and research on them should continue; however, in order to address and treat their associated problems accurately and effectively, they should not be misdiagnosed as consequences of addiction.

Funding Statement

Funding sources: No financial support was received for this study.

Authors’ contribution

Both the authors TP and XC developed the study aims; analyzed the papers referenced within; and actively participated in developing the critiques, theories, and conclusions expressed within the paper.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

• Aljomaa S. S., Mohammad M. F., Albursan I. S., Bakhiet S. F., Abduljabbar A. S. (2016). Smartphone addiction among university students in the light of some variables. Computers in Human Behavior, 61, 155–164. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2016.03.041 [ DOI ] [ Google Scholar ]
• American Psychiatric Association [APA]. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association. [ Google Scholar ]
• Atroszko P. A., Andreassen C. S., Griffiths M. D., Pallesen S. (2015). Study addiction – A new area of psychological study: Conceptualization, assessment, and preliminary empirical findings. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 4(2), 75–84. doi: 10.1556/2006.4.2015.007 [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Balakrishnan J., Griffiths M. D. (2018). Perceived addictiveness of smartphone games: A content analysis of game reviews by players. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. doi: 10.1007/s11469-018-9897-5 [ DOI ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Bian M., Leung L. (2015). Linking loneliness, shyness, smartphone addiction symptoms, and patterns of smartphone use to social capital. Social Science Computer Review, 33(1), 61–79. doi: 10.1177/0894439314528779 [ DOI ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Bianchi A., Phillips J. G. (2005). Psychological predictors of problem mobile phone use. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 8(1), 39–51. doi: 10.1089/cpb.2005.8.39 [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Billieux J., Maurage P., Lopez-Fernandez O., Kuss D. J., Griffiths M. D. (2015). Can disordered mobile phone use be considered a behavioral addiction? An update on current evidence and a comprehensive model for future research. Current Addiction Reports, 2(2), 156–162. doi: 10.1007/s40429-015-0054-y [ DOI ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Billieux J., Philippot P., Schmid C., Maurage P., De Mol J., Van der Linden M. (2014). Is dysfunctional use of the mobile phone a behavioural addiction? Confronting symptom-based versus process-based approaches. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 22(5), 460–468. doi: 10.1002/cpp.191010.1002/cpp.1910 [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Billieux J., Schimmenti A., Khazaal Y., Maurage P., Heeren A. (2015). Are we overpathologizing everyday life? A tenable blueprint for behavioral addiction research. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 4(3), 119–123. doi: 10.1556/2006.4.2015.009 [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Billieux J., Van der Linden M., Rochat L. (2008). The role of impulsivity in actual and problematic use of the mobile phone. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 22(9), 1195–1210. doi: 10.1002/acp.1429 [ DOI ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Carbonell X., Chamarro A., Griffiths M. D., Oberst U., Cladellas R., Talarn A. (2012). Problematic Internet and cell phone use in Spanish teenagers and young students. Anales de Psicología, 28(3), 789–796. doi: 10.6018/analesps.28.3.156061 [ DOI ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Carbonell X., Guardiola E., Fuster H., Gil F., Panova T. (2016). Trends in scientific literature on addiction to the Internet, video games, and cell phones from 2006 to 2010. International Journal of Preventive Medicine, 7(1), 63. doi: 10.4103/2008-7802.179511 [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Carbonell X., Panova T. (2017). A critical consideration of social networking sites’ addiction potential. Addiction Research & Theory, 25(1), 48–57. doi: 10.1080/16066359.2016.1197915 [ DOI ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Cheever N., Rosen L., Carrier L. M., Chavez A. (2014). Out of sight is not out of mind: The impact of restricting wireless mobile device use on anxiety levels among low, moderate and high users. Computers in Human Behavior, 37, 290–297. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2014.05.002 [ DOI ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Chiu S.-I. (2014). The relationship between life stress and smartphone addiction on Taiwanese university student: A mediation model of learning self-efficacy and social self-efficacy. Computers in Human Behavior, 34, 49–57. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2014.01.024 [ DOI ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Chóliz M. (2010). Mobile phone addiction: A point of issue. Addiction, 105(2), 373–374. doi: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2009.02854.x [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Darcin A. E., Kose S., Noyan C. O., Nurmedov S., Yılmaz O., Dilbaz N. (2016). Smartphone addiction and its relationship with social anxiety and loneliness. Behaviour and Information Technology, 35(7), 520–525. doi: 10.1080/0144929X.2016.1158319 [ DOI ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Demirci K., Akgönül M., Akpinar A. (2015). Relationship of smartphone use severity with sleep quality, depression, and anxiety in university students. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 4(2), 85–92. doi: 10.1556/2006.4.2015.010 [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Elhai J. D., Levine J. C., Dvorak R. D., Hall B. J. (2016). Fear of missing out, need for touch, anxiety and depression are related to problematic smartphone use. Computers in Human Behavior, 63, 509–516. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2016.05.079 [ DOI ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Fernandez-Guerrero I. M. (2014). WhatsAppitis. The Lancet, 383(9922), 1040. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60519-5 [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Frances A. J., Widiger T. (2012). Psychiatric diagnosis: Lessons from the DSM-IV past and cautions for the DSM-5 future. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 8(1), 109–130. doi: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032511-143102 [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Fu Yuan H., Chiu S.-I., Huang D.-H. (2012). A model of the relationship between psychological characteristics, mobile phone addiction and use of mobile phones by Taiwanese university female students. Computers in Human Behavior, 28(6), 2152–2159. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2012.06.020 [ DOI ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Goodman M. D. (1990). Addiction: Definition and implications. British Journal of Addictions, 85(11), 1403–1408. doi: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.1990.tb01620.x [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Griffiths M. D. (1995). Technological addictions. Clinical Psychology Forum, 76, 14–19. [ Google Scholar ]
• Griffiths M. D. (2005). A “components” model of addiction within a biopsychosocial framework. Journal of Substance Use, 10(4), 191–197. doi: 10.1080/14659890500114359 [ DOI ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Haug S., Castro R. P., Kwon M., Filler A., Kowatsch T., Schaub M. P. (2015). Smartphone use and smartphone addiction among young people in Switzerland. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 4(4), 299–307. doi: 10.1556/2006.4.2015.037 [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Hawi N. S., Samaha M. (2016). To excel or not to excel: Strong evidence on the adverse effect of smartphone addiction on academic performance. Computers & Education, 98, 81–89. doi: 10.1016/j.compedu.2016.03.007 [ DOI ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Horst H., Miller D. (2005). From kinship to link-up: Cell phones and social networking in Jamaica. Current Anthropology, 46(5), 755–778. doi: 10.1086/432650 [ DOI ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Ito M. (2005). Mobile phones, Japanese youth, and the re-placement of social contact. In Ling R., Pedersen P. (Eds.), Mobile communications: Re-negotiation of the social sphere (pp. 131–148). London: Springer. [ Google Scholar ]
• Jeong S. H., Kim H., Yum J. Y., Hwang Y. (2016). What type of content are smartphone users addicted to?: SNS vs. games. Computers in Human Behavior, 54, 10–17. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2015.07.035 [ DOI ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Kaptsis D., King D. L., Delfabbro P. H., Gradisar M. (2016). Withdrawal symptoms in Internet gaming disorder: A systematic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 43, 58–66. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2015.11.006 [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Kardefelt-Winther D. (2015). Commentary on: Are we overpathologizing everyday life? A tenable blueprint for behavioral addiction research. Problems with atheorical and confirmatory reserach approaches in the study of behavioral addictions. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 4(3), 126–129. doi: 10.1556/2006.4.2015.019 [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Kardefelt-Winther D., Heeren A., Schimmenti A., van Rooij A., Maurage P., Carras M., Edman J., Blaszczynski A., Khazaal Y., Billieux J. (2017). How can we conceptualize behavioural addiction without pathologizing common behaviours? Addiction, 112(10), 1709–1715. doi: 10.1111/add.13763 [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Kim D., Lee Y., Lee J., Nam J. K., Chung Y. (2014). Development of Korean Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale for youth. PLoS One, 9(5), e97920. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097920 [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• King A. L., Valença A. M., Silva A. C., Baczynski T., Carvalho M. R., Nardi A. E. (2013). Nomophobia: Dependency on virtual environments or social phobia? Computers in Human Behavior, 29(1), 140–144. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2012.07.025 [ DOI ] [ Google Scholar ]
• King D. L., Herd M. C. E., Delfabbro P. H. (2018). Motivational components of tolerance in Internet gaming disorder. Computers in Human Behavior, 78, 133–141. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2017.09.023 [ DOI ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Király O., Griffiths M. D., Urbán R., Farkas J., Kökönyei G., Elekes Z., Tamás D., Demetrovics Z. (2014). Problematic Internet use and problematic online gaming are not the same: Findings from a large nationally representative adolescent sample. Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, 17(12), 749–754. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2014.0475 [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Körmendi A., Brutóczki Z., Végh B. P., Székely R. (2016). Smartphone use can be addictive? A case report. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 5(3), 548–552. doi: 10.1556/2006.5.2016.033 [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Kuss D., Harkin L., Kanjo E., Billieux J. (2018). Problematic smartphone use: Investigating contemporary experiences using a convergent design. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(1), 142. doi: 10.3390/ijerph15010142 [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Kuss D. J., Kanjo E., Crook-Rumsey M., Kibowski F., Wang G. Y., Sumich A. (2018). Problematic mobile phone use and addiction across generations: The roles of psychopathological symptoms and smartphone use. Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science. doi: 10.1007/s41347-017-0041-3 [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Kwon M., Lee J. Y., Won W. Y., Park J. W., Min J. A., Hahn C., Gu X., Choi J.-H., Kim D. J. (2013). Development and validation of a Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS). PLoS One, 8(2), e56936. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0056936 [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Leonardi P., Leonardi M. E., Hudson E. (2006). Culture, organization, and contradiction in the social construction of technology: Adoption and use of the cell phone across three cultures. In Kavoori A., Arceneaux N. (Eds.), The cell phone reader: Essays in social transformation (pp. 205–225). New York, NY: Peter Lang. [ Google Scholar ]
• Leung L. (2007). Leisure boredom, sensation seeking, self-esteem, addiction symptoms and patterns of mobile phone use. In Konijn E. A., Utz S., Tanis M., Barnes S. B. (Eds.), Mediated Interpersonal Communication (pp. 359–381). New York: Routledge. [ Google Scholar ]
• Levine D. G. (1974). “Needle Freaks”: Compulsive self-injection drug users. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 131(3), 297–300. doi: 10.1176/ajp.131.3.297 [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Lin Y. H., Chang L. R., Lee Y. H., Tseng H. W., Kuo T. B. J., Chen S. H. (2014). Development and validation of the Smartphone Addiction Inventory (SPAI). PLoS One, 9(6), e98312. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0098312 [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Lopez-Fernandez O. (2015). Short version of the Smartphone Addiction Scale adapted to Spanish and French: Towards a cross-cultural research in problematic mobile phone use. Addictive Behaviors, 64, 275–280. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2015.11.013 [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Lopez-Fernandez O., Kuss D., Romo L., Morvan Y., Kern L., Graziani P., Rousseau A., Rumpf H. J., Bischof A., Gässler A. K., Schimmenti A., Passanisi A., Männikkö N., Kääriänen M., Demetrovics Z., Király O., Chóliz M., Zacarés J. J., Serra E., Griffiths M. D., Pontes H. M., Lelonek-Kuleta B., Chwaszcz J., Zullino D., Rochat L., Achab S., Billieux J. (2017). Self-reported dependence on mobile phones in young adults: A European cross-cultural empirical survey. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 6(2), 168–177. doi: 10.1556/2006.6.2017.020 [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Lopez-Fernandez O., Männikkö N., Kääriäinen M., Griffiths M. D., Kuss D. J. (2018). Mobile gaming and problematic smartphone use: A comparative study between Belgium and Finland. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 7(1), 88–99. doi: 10.1556/2006.6.2017.080 [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Marlatt G. A., Gordon J. R. (1985). Relapse prevention. New York, NY: Guilford. [ Google Scholar ]
• Muñoz-Miralles R., Ortega-González R., Batalla-Martínez C., López-Morón M. R., Manresa J. M., Torán-Monserrat P. (2013). Acceso y uso de nuevas tecnologías entre los jóvenes de educación secundaria, implicaciones en salud. Estudio JOITIC [Access and use of new information and telecommunication technologies among teenagers at high school, health implications. JOITIC Study]. Atencion Primaria, 46(2), 77–88. doi: 10.1016/j.aprim.2013.06.001 [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Murdock K. K. (2013). Texting while stressed: Implications for students’ burnout, sleep, and well-being. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 2(4), 207–221. doi: 10.1037/ppm0000012 [ DOI ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Nolan B. V., Feldman S. R. (2009). Ultraviolet tanning addiction. Dermatologic Clinics, 27(2), 109–112. doi: 10.1016/j.det.2008.11.007 [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Panova T., Lleras A. (2016). Avoidance or boredom: Negative mental health outcomes associated with use of information and communication technologies depend on users’ motivations. Computers in Human Behavior, 58, 249–258. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2015.12.062 [ DOI ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Pedrero E. J., Rodríguez M. T., Ruiz J. M. (2012). Adicción o abuso del teléfono móvil. Revisión de la literatura [Mobile phone abuse or addiction. A review of the literature]. Adicciones, 24(2), 139–152. doi: 10.20882/adicciones.107 [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Petry N. M., O’Brien C. P. (2013). Internet gaming disorder and the DSM-5. Addiction, 108(7), 1186–1187. doi: 10.1111/add.12162 [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Pontes H. M., Szabo A., Griffiths M. D. (2015). The impact of Internet-based specific activities on the perceptions of Internet addiction, quality of life, and excessive usage: A cross-sectional study. Addictive Behaviors Reports, 1, 19–25. doi: 10.1016/j.abrep.2015.03.002 [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Roberts J. A., Pullig C., Manolis C. (2015). I need my smartphone: A hierarchical model of personality and cell-phone addiction. Personality and Individual Differences, 79, 13–19. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2015.01.049 [ DOI ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Rudski J. M., Segal C., Kallen E. (2009). Harry Potter and the end of the road: Parallels with addiction. Addiction Research & Theory, 17(3), 260–277. doi: 10.1080/16066350802334595 [ DOI ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Salehan M., Negahban A. (2013). Social networking on smartphones: When mobile phones become addictive. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(6), 2632–2639. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2013.07.003 [ DOI ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Sánchez-Carbonell X., Guardiola E., Bellés A., Beranuy M. (2005). European Union scientific production on alcohol and drug misuse (1976–2000). Addiction, 100(8), 1166–1174. doi: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2005.01135.x [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Sánchez-Carbonell X., Beranuy M., Castellana M., Chamarro A., Oberst U. (2008). La adiccion a Internet y al móvil: ¿Moda o trastorno? [Internet and mobile phone addiction: A passing fad or a disorder?]. Adicciones, 20(2), 149–160. doi: 10.20882/adicciones.279 [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Saunders J. B., Hao W., Long J., King D. L., Mann K., Fauth-Bühler M., Rumpf H. J., Bowden-Jones H., Rahimi-Movaghar A., Chung T., Chan E., Bahar N., Achab S., Lee H. K., Potenza M., Petry N., Spritzer D., Ambekar A., Derevensky J., Griffiths M. D., Pontes H. M., Kuss D., Higuchi S., Mihara S., Assangangkornchai S., Sharma M., Kashef A. E., Ip P., Farrell M., Scafato E., Carragher N., Poznyak V. (2017). Gaming disorder: Its delineation as an important condition for diagnosis, management, and prevention. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 6(3), 271–279. doi: 10.1556/2006.6.2017.039 [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Skierkowski D., Wood R. M. (2012). To text or not to text? The importance of text messaging among college-aged youth. Computers in Human Behavior, 28(2), 744–756. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2011.11.023 [ DOI ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Stall R., Biernacki P. (1986). Spontaneous remission from the problematic use of substances: An inductive model derived from a comparative analysis of the alcohol, opiate, tobacco, and food/obesity literatures. International Journal of the Addictions, 21(1), 1–23. doi: 10.3109/10826088609063434 [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Suissa A. J. (2008). Addiction to cosmetic surgery: Representations and medicalization of the body. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 6(4), 619–630. doi: 10.1007/s11469-008-9164-2 [ DOI ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Surrat C. G. (1999). Netaholics?: The creation of a pathology. New York, NY: Nova Science. [ Google Scholar ]
• Targhetta R., Nalpas B., Perney P. (2013). Argentine tango: Another behavioral addiction? Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 2(3), 179–186. doi: 10.1556/JBA.2.2013.007 [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Thomée S., Dellve L., Harenstam A., Hagberg M. (2010). Perceived connections between information and communication technology use and mental symptoms among young adults – A qualitative study. BMC Public Health, 10(1), 66. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-10-66 [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Thomée S., Härenstam A., Hagberg M. (2011). Mobile phone use and stress, sleep disturbances, and symptoms of depression among young adults – A prospective cohort study. BMC Public Health, 11(1), 66. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-11-66 [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Van Deursen A. J. A. M., Bolle C. L., Hegner S. M., Kommers P. A. M. (2015). Modeling habitual and addictive smartphone behavior. The role of smartphone usage types, emotional intelligence, social stress, self-regulation, age, and gender. Computers in Human Behavior, 45, 411–420. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2014.12.039 [ DOI ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Walters G. D. (2000). Spontaneous remission from alcohol, tobacco, and other drug abuse: Seeking quantitative answers to qualitative questions. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 26(3), 443–460. doi: 10.1081/ADA-100100255 [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• View on publisher site
• PDF (148.9 KB)
• Collections

Similar articles

Cited by other articles, links to ncbi databases.

• Download .nbib .nbib
• Format: AMA APA MLA NLM

Add to Collections

Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Read our research on:

Full Topic List

Regions & Countries

Publications

• Our Methods
• Short Reads
• Tools & Resources

Read Our Research On:

Smartphones

Most americans back cellphone bans during class, but fewer support all-day restrictions.

Overall, 68% of U.S. adults say they support a ban on middle and high school students using cellphones during class.

72% of U.S. high school teachers say cellphone distraction is a major problem in the classroom

Some 72% of high school teachers say that students being distracted by cellphones is a major problem in their classroom.

How Teens and Parents Approach Screen Time

Most teens at least sometimes feel happy and peaceful when they don’t have their phone, but 44% say this makes them anxious. Half of parents say they have looked through their teen’s phone.

Americans’ Use of Mobile Technology and Home Broadband

Most U.S. adults today say they use the internet (95%), have a smartphone (90%) or subscribe to high-speed internet at home (80%). About four-in-ten report being online almost constantly.

Teens and Internet, Device Access Fact Sheet

Today, nearly all U.S. teens (96%) say they use the internet every day. And the share of teens who report being online “almost constantly” has roughly doubled since 2014-2015 (24% vs. 46%).

Social Media Seen as Mostly Good for Democracy Across Many Nations, But U.S. is a Major Outlier

Most think social media has made it easier to manipulate and divide people, but they also say it informs and raises awareness.

For shopping, phones are common and influencers have become a factor – especially for young adults

Social media is an important tool for consumers, with some Americans – particularly younger adults – turning to influencer recommendations.

Share of those 65 and older who are tech users has grown in the past decade

Adoption of key technologies by those in the oldest age group has grown markedly since about a decade ago.

Some digital divides persist between rural, urban and suburban America

Rural adults are less likely than suburban adults to have home broadband and less likely than urban adults to own a smartphone, tablet or computer.

Home broadband adoption, computer ownership vary by race, ethnicity in the U.S.

Black and Hispanic Americans remain less likely than White adults to say they own a traditional computer or have high-speed internet at home.

REFINE YOUR SELECTION

Research teams.

901 E St. NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20004 USA (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax (+1) 202-419-4372 |  Media Inquiries

Research Topics

• Email Newsletters

ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER  Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan, nonadvocacy fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It does not take policy positions. The Center conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, computational social science research and other data-driven research. Pew Research Center is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts , its primary funder.

© 2024 Pew Research Center

Notifications

• Encryption Research Topics Topics: 48
• Cybersecurity Topics Topics: 175
• Artificial Intelligence Paper Topics Topics: 217
• Cyber-Attack Topics Topics: 60
• Programming Research Topics Topics: 78
• Internet of Things Research Topics Topics: 59
• Virtualization Research Topics Topics: 47
• Cybercrime Topics Topics: 107
• Cyberspace Topics Topics: 60
• Internet Privacy Paper Topics Topics: 54
• Machine Learning Paper Topics Topics: 52
• Robots Topics Topics: 92
• Computers Research Topics Topics: 183
• Agile Project Management Research Topics Topics: 73
• Hacking Paper Topics Topics: 50

76 Smartphone Essay Topics

🏆 best essay topics on smartphone, 🔎 easy smartphone research paper topics, 🎓 most interesting smartphone research titles, 💡 simple smartphone essay ideas.

• The Macro-Environment of the Smartphone Industry Analysis
• Blackberry’s Targeting Strategy in the Smartphone Market
• Smartphone Macro-Environment Analysis in the UK
• The Life-Cycle Model of the Smartphone Industry
• The Smartphone Industry: Technological Influences
• Comparison of Apple and Android Smartphones
• Impact of Smartphones on Work-Life Balance
• Analysis of Smartphones Life Cycle Smartphones are useful in many ways, including communication and getting news and updates, but they follow a predetermined life cycle, which shall be discussed in this paper.
• The Smartphone Economic Market Despite the immense potential presented by innovation, research, development, and entertainment in the smartphone market, the future of giants such as Apple remains uncertain.
• Using Smartphones in Healthcare: Ethical Issues The common use of smartphones to share healthcare data is associated with several security and privacy issues.
• Top-Selling Smartphone Brands in the World The brands under analysis are Xiaomi, Huawei, Samsung, and Apple, all of them have their distinct perception of the position on the global market, as well as their consumers.
• India’s Growing Smartphone Market: Trends and Opportunities The article “India’s Booming Smartphone Market” by Sean Mclain, provides information concerning the development of the smartphone market in India while pointing out the tendencies.
• Your Smartphone is a Civil Rights Issue While the new technology improves the quality of life, it presents serious security challenges. In a TED Talk video, privacy security expert Christopher Soghoian explains how Apple and Android have contributed to the growing digital security divide. Although users choose smartphone types for personal taste, the powerful and wealthy individuals…
• Smartphone Use Among Students in Higher Institutions Smartphone usage has a beneficial effect on college students’ academic performance. For example, integrating smartphones into the classroom will boost students’ academic success.
• Smartphone Evaluation and Use in Business Smartphone can be defined as a gadget that enables the user to make telephone calls and has additional features that would be found on a computer.
• Technology Description Diary: The Use of Smartphone and Diary of Observations Modern life is impossible to imagine without a great number of devices that make people’s lives easier and help to keep many things under control.
• Smartphone Role in Type 2 Diabetes Self-Management The current research paper endeavors to explore mat-analysis studies and past research studies on the role played by smartphones in type 2 diabetes self-management.
• Smartphone Addiction Among American Youth While the smartphone is a valuable tool that has benefited civilization, the ensuing mental addiction has a profound, lasting impact on individuals’ health.
• Smartphone Innovation and Powerful Marketing Plan The number of people purchasing and using smartphones has been on the rise. This change is catalyzed by emerging technologies such as applications and superior operating systems.
• The False Justification of the Smartphone Panic Although the moral panic connected to the use of smartphones by the young generation has incredible popularity, it is not entirely justified.
• iPhone 12 Mini: Apple’s Smartphone Evolution The iPhone is one of the most competitive smartphone brands in the world today. This discussion examines how the iPhone has evolved until the latest device, the iPhone 12 mini.
• Social Media, Smartphones Have Become Obsession Smartphones have become our obsession instead of being our helpers. They attract people to use all of the apps and social networks as much as possible.
• Smartphone Operating Systems: Feature Writing Does the iPhone operating system beat the Symbian or the Android? As a tech-fanatic, I will put various smartphone operating systems through their paces.
• Apple and Samsung in Smartphone Product Category Apple and Samsung are top-rated brands offering their customers a wide array of product categories, such as laptops, tablets, smartphones, and wearable accessories.
• Limiting Smartphones Use in Communication There is a dire need to develop rational steps to limit the use of smartphones and strengthen one-on-one interactions.
• Security Issues Facing Smartphone Users Cybercrime seems to increase and evolve as smartphone technology grows in complexity, thus exposing users and manufacturing companies to several security risks.
• The Smartphone Technology in the Healthcare Sector The main aim of the study will be to explore smartphone technology use in sustainable project management in the healthcare sector.
• Smartphone Technology in the Society Nowadays, phones are being used to work in various fields, academic grounds, and research. Smartphones have contributed to the negative and positive impacts of technology.
• Change Project in Healthcare: The Introduction of Smartphone Apps The introduction of smartphone apps in a given unit or facility is a revolutionary idea that can improve the medical outcomes of the greatest number of patients.
• Smartphone as Contributing Factor for Loneliness Smartphones constitute a powerful contributing factor to the increased level of loneliness due to their unfavorable influence on social, personal, and romantic relations.
• Global Marketing in the Smartphone Industry The purpose of the global marketing research is to find the impact of consumer perceived value (CPV) on a smartphone purchase intention.
• Smartphone Technologies: A Central Processing Unit Smartphones are powered by a central processing unit (CPU) which drives the device function and ultimately defines its processing power.
• Smartphone Market Statistics in the United States Smartphones management on Google-backed Android software is in an advanced position in the United States market.
• The iPhone X vs. Samsung Galaxy S8 Smartphones Compared The newest flagship phones available on the market are the Apple iPhone X and Samsung Galaxy S8. This paper will provide a comparison between these two phones.
• Kube K15: Innovative Multimedia Smartphone The company is known as Kube. This organization deals with the production of electronic devices that are so popular nowadays.
• Smartphone for Deaf and Mute People Deaf and mute people living in Australia and members of Deaf Australia Inc. or Australian Association of the Deaf have been identified as the target audience for a smartphone.
• The Diagnostic Criteria for Smartphone Addiction
• Smartphone Market Trends With Pest Analysis in Korea
• Marketing Plan For Designing a Smartphone App
• Global Smartphone Audio Codecs Industry 2015 Market Research Report
• Samsung Smartphone Service Innovation
• Smartphone Use and Academic Performance: Correlation or Causal Relationship
• Global Smartphone Power Management IC Market
• Smartphone Application in Restaurant Business
• Smartphone Industry and Apples iPhone Analysis
• Using Smartphone Apps for Learning in a Major Korean University
• How Parent’s Smartphone Usage Impacts Their Children
• Smartphone: Mobile Phone and Excellent Time Killer
• History and Future Trends in Smartphone Technology
• Driving Forces for Smartphone Industry
• Diagnostic Criteria for Smartphone Addiction
• Walking and Talking: The Effect of Smartphone Use and Group Conversation on Pedestrian Speed
• Smartphone-Based Wound Assessment System for Diabetes
• Identifying and Quantifying Neurological Disability via Smartphone
• Smartphones and Its Integration Into Our Daily Lives
• The Emergence, Opportunities, and Importance of Mobile E-commerce Using Smartphones
• Strategic Marketing Plan for Windows Phone 7 Smartphone
• Marketing Mix for Samsung Galaxy Smartphones
• The Factors That Affect the Purchase Intention of Smartphones Among Year 3 Engineering Entrepreneurship Students
• Smartphone Habits Among Youth: Uses and Gratification Theory
• Telecom Firms Under Pressure To Keep Up With Smartphone Obsession
• Product Features Influencing Purchase Decision for Smartphone Handsets
• Indian Smartphone Users Spend More Time on Internet Than Voice
• The Pros and Cons of the Smartphone: Does It Help Our Lives
• Gender and Income Effects of Smartphone Use: The Case of Rural China
• The Smartphone Revolution and Its Effects on Business
• Overseas Student Smartphone Brand Preference
• Promoting Positive Effect Through Smartphone Photography
• Wearable Ecg Monitoring and Alerting System Associated With Smartphone: IHeart
• Smartphone Proliferation and Internet Penetration in India
• Smartphone Applications and Childhood Obesity
• Off-Farm Work, Smartphone Use and Household Income: Evidence From Rural China
• Smartphone Addiction and Its Effects on Society
• Why Can Samsung and Apple Dominate the Smartphone Market in Hong Kong
• Social Media and Smartphone Habits

Cite this post

• Chicago (N-B)
• Chicago (A-D)

StudyCorgi. (2022, July 14). 76 Smartphone Essay Topics. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/smartphone-essay-topics/

"76 Smartphone Essay Topics." StudyCorgi , 14 July 2022, studycorgi.com/ideas/smartphone-essay-topics/.

StudyCorgi . (2022) '76 Smartphone Essay Topics'. 14 July.

1. StudyCorgi . "76 Smartphone Essay Topics." July 14, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/smartphone-essay-topics/.

Bibliography

StudyCorgi . "76 Smartphone Essay Topics." July 14, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/smartphone-essay-topics/.

StudyCorgi . 2022. "76 Smartphone Essay Topics." July 14, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/smartphone-essay-topics/.

These essay examples and topics on Smartphone were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

This essay topic collection was updated on June 24, 2024 .

Home — Essay Samples — Information Science and Technology — Digital Devices — Mobile Phone

Essays on Mobile Phone

Impacts of mobile phone, the increase in demand for mobile phone, made-to-order essay as fast as you need it.

Each essay is customized to cater to your unique preferences

+ experts online

Evolution of Mobile Communication

Mobile devices in our time, global system for mobile communications – railway (gsm-r), discussion of whether hand phones should be allowed in secondary schools, let us write you an essay from scratch.

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

The Problem of The Waste of Phones

Flutter vs xamarin: cross-platform mobile development, mobile computing and its applications, history of grameenphone, get a personalized essay in under 3 hours.

Expert-written essays crafted with your exact needs in mind

The Role of The Cell Phones in Our Life

Telecommunication in rural areas, harmful effects of the use of mobile phone, the international mobile subscriber identity, the best and fastest mobile browsers for android, a review of 5g wireless technology, analysis of mobile gaming: characteristics and limitations, mobile phone use and academic performance, the international mobile subscriber identity(imsi), what is 5g and all about it, cross platform mobile application, overview of carpooling system, its challenges and benefits, mobile and their problems a major issue, mobile security, construction of mobile app technology, mobile wallets adoption in india, modeling & simulation analysis of frequencyselective fabrics (fsf) in gsm bands, health effects of radiations emitted from mobile phone and mobile phone towers, an analysis of cloud migration, mobile dependency, relevant topics.

• Cell Phones
• Air Conditioner
• Digital Era
• Artificial Intelligence

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free