RELATIONSHIP OF PROBLEMBLE SMARTPHONE USE WITH SHYNESS, SELF- RESPECT, LIFE SATISFACTION AND SELF-ESTEEM

Abstract

The relationship between smartphone addiction and numerous manifestations of psychological ill-being prompted the introduction of the construct “problematic smartphone use,” which includes smartphone addiction (as a cause) and all sorts of problems associated with this addiction. The purpose of this study is to identify in Belarusian society possible relationships between problematic smartphone use and assertiveness, shyness, self-respect, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. The empirical basis of the study was the results of online testing of 2740 respondents (average age M = 23,3; SD = 9,7), among them 1770 women (M = 24,4; SD = 7,2) and 969 men (M = 21,9; SD = 12,1). The study used: A short version of the smartphone addiction questionnaire (author V.P. Sheinov), a social network addiction questionnaire (authors V.P. Sheinov, A.S. Devitsyn), an assertiveness questionnaire (author V.P. Sheinov), M. Rosenberg's self-esteem scale adapted by A.A. Zolotareva, Life Satisfaction Scale (authors E.N. Osin, D.A. Leontiev), Shyness Questionnaire (authors A.B. Belousova, I.M. Yusupov). This study revealed highly significant negative correlations in Belarusian society between problematic smartphone use and assertiveness, life satisfaction, self-respect, self-esteem, and positive correlations with shyness and addiction to social networks. The closeness of the connections identified in this study and those obtained by foreign researchers are comparable, as evidenced by the values of the Pearson correlation (corresponding non-parametric correlations could not be found among foreign colleagues). The practical significance of the results obtained is the possibility of their use in explanatory work (among students, their parents, teachers, psychologists of educational institutions) about the danger of becoming dependent on a smartphone due to its relationship with unfavorable personal characteristics.