Personality Traits that Predispose or Protect in Smartphone Addiction and Their Implications for Intervention: A Narrative Review.

Technological advancement has transformed nearly every aspect of modern life. Nonetheless excessive use of smartphone has become a matter of concern. Adolescents and young adults tend to be more attached or addictive to smartphones and their effects are seen either physically or psychologically. However, there are still no established diagnostic criteria for smartphone addiction in The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition. The present review aimed at looking into the available evidence of personality factors in connection with smartphone use and thereby exploring the role of personality in interventions for smartphone addiction on the ground of theoretical foundation. Findings revealed that high neuroticism was significantly related to excessive use and even predicted problematic use of smartphones. Though studies revealed that extraversion may cause an individual to be inclined to increased smartphone usage, it would not lead to smartphone addiction. Similarly, openness to experience traits showed a slight negative association and were not significant predictors of smartphone addiction, whereas conscientiousness and high agreeableness appeared to be protective factors against its development. Research on the relationship between smartphone addiction and social-emotional distress is still in its early stages, requiring cautious generalization. Since eliminating smartphone use completely is impractical, possible interventions for smartphone addiction linked with personality are recommended.