Problematic smartphone use and usage metrics: A comparison of subjective and objective measures among medical students
Sanjay S. Menon, Sebind Kumar, Harish M. TharayilABSTRACT
Background:
Research on problematic smartphone use (PSU) relies on self-reported screen time as a proxy for severity, despite concerns regarding its utility. Objective usage metrics remain underutilized.
Aim:
To estimate PSU prevalence among medical students and explore screen time’s utility as a severity indicator by comparing subjective and objective measures. Associations with selected psychological variables examined.
Methods:
This cross-sectional study included 200 randomly selected undergraduate medical students from a government medical college in Kerala. PSU was assessed using the Smartphone Addiction Scale–Short Version. Depressive symptoms, perceived stress, mindfulness, and sleep quality were measured using PHQ-9, PSS-10, FFMQ-15, and PSQI. Objective metrics included daily screen time and unlock frequency from in-built tracking applications. Correlation and exploratory regression analyses were performed.
Results:
Participants underestimated smartphone use compared with objective screen time, with greater underestimation at higher usage levels (
Conclusion:
In a study designed to estimate the prevalence of problematic smartphone use, total screen time, whether self-reported or objectively recorded, showed limited utility as a standalone severity indicator, whereas depressive symptoms demonstrated the strongest independent association with PSU.