Smartphone Addiction and its Impacts on Loneliness, Happiness, and Satisfaction with Life in Medical Students with Different Personalities During COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background: In this digital era, around the globe, smartphones have become ubiquitous and an indispensable part of everyday life. Despite being a highly productive tool, smartphone is often overused or misused leading to addiction. Studies have been carried out to assess factors influencing smartphone addiction, but very little focus has been placed on psychosocial changes in adults with different personalities, especially among medical students. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the influence of smartphone addiction on personality among medical students in South India. Methods: A validated extrovert and Introvert Personality Inventory (IPEI) was administered to assess the personality after obtaining the necessary permissions. Using a validated questionnaire, the satisfaction with life, subjective happiness, and loneliness scales were administered via Google Forms. Findings: The results showed there was a statistically significant increase in life satisfaction and loneliness scores among the extroverts in the mobile phone addiction group compared with the non-addiction group (P<0.0001). Conclusion: Considering the impact of cell phones on various factors in adults in different areas can complement the nationwide statistics so as to formulate a health policy to address the vulnerable population and thus prevent the deterioration of the psychosocial behavior of the young generation.