Smartphone stress: Concept, structure, and development of measurement among adolescents

Abstract

People suffer from stress or digital stress when using information communication technology. Smartphones are the most widely used smart device among adolescents. However, few tools have been developed to capture smartphone stress. This preregistered study aims to clarify and define the concept of smartphone stress based on previous literature regarding digital stress and to develop a smartphone stress scale for adolescents. This study integrated qualitative and quantitative approaches to explore the structure of smartphone stress and develop a smartphone stress scale. First, we theoretically proposed the smartphone stress item pool based on current theories of digital stress and the definition of smartphone stress. Then, we conducted focus groups and in-depth interviews (N = 41) to revise the items in the item pool. Lastly, we finalized the scale based on the data collected from three independent samples of adolescents (Nsample1 = 1,088, Nsample2 = 879, Nsample3 = 176). The results revealed six dimensions of smartphone stress among adolescents: unsatisfactory information and communication, unmet recreational motivation, online learning burden, social concerns, useless and overloaded notifications, and online verbal attacks. The content validity was confirmed and the scale showed robust reliability (α = .851 to .959), stability (test-retest reliability = .717 to .681, p < .001), and validity (construct validity: χ2 = 2,811.967, df = 399, CFI = .966, TLI = .963, RMSEA = .075; correlations with anxiety and depression were .431 to .462, p < .001). The developed scale is reliable in measuring smartphone stress in adolescents. Limitations, implications, and suggestions for future research are discussed.