Characteristics of cellular phone dependency in Korean adolescence

초록

Aim: This study expected to find an association between cellular phone dependencies and emotional influence, academic and social functioning in adolescents. In addition, the study expected to find a link between cellular phone dependencies and age when they started cellular phone use. Method: A survey of adolescents was performed by high school and middle school students in South Korea. Thestudent were asked to complete the survey material including Problematic Cellular Phone Use Survey(PCPUS), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for children (STAIC), Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI), Youth Sekf-Report (YSR). Results: There was a significant relationship between problematic cellular phone use and duration of cellular phone use which appears to be important factor. In addition, high anxiety and depression score have been linked to behavioral problems such as problematic cellular phone use. Among the subscale of YSR, we found negative relationship in academic performance subscale and social function subscale with problematic cellular phone use and we also found positive relationship in the rest of YSR subscale. No significant association was found between problematic cellular phone use and age when they started cellular phone use. Conclusion: This study offers a potential window into the evolution of behavioral problems such as problematic cellular phone use. As we found a significant relationship between problematic cellular phone use and duration of cellular phone use, it is not altogether surprising that more time spent on the cellular phone use resulting more problematic cellular phone usage. In this study, we found negative physical, emotional, social consequences of inappropriate cellular phone use, particularly for those with long duration of cellular phone usage.