The Coronavirus Pandemic has shifted individuals’ lifestyles due to mandatory lockdowns and increased isolation, resulting in more engagement with technology. Similarly, initiatives towards eradicating the virus have overshadowed critical issues such as the negative impact of using smart devices for extended periods. However, Kliesener et al. (2022) investigated the prevalence of problematic smartphone use (PSU) symptoms in children and adolescents in Germany and the link between smartphone use patterns, daily usage time, and PSU symptoms in these age groups. Moreover, they associated PSU symptoms with the study group’s quality of life, behavioral problems, and school performance using multiple regression analysis.
Consequently, the researchers established that intensive smartphone usage on gaming, social media, and watching video clips was associated with more PSU symptoms. Moreover, they established that more PSU symptoms were associated with lower quality of life, poor school performance, and increased behavioral difficulties. Therefore, the researchers suggest limiting time spent on technological devices for entertainment because they are linked to PSU symptoms. The research is essential in child development psychology and reliable because it is peer-reviewed and adheres to academic standards.
Multiple linear regression is a type of linear regression that uses multiple X variables to predict a Y variable simultaneously. Therefore, the technique was appropriate for the research because the researchers sought to investigate the relationship between various variables and problematic smartphone use symptoms. One of the most intriguing attributes of this approach is how it eases data comparisons and allows researchers to identify associations between complex variables and phenomena. Therefore, the technique is reliable if properly applied using the appropriate variables.
Reference
Kliesener, T., Meigen, C., Kiess, W., & Poulain, T. (2022). Associations between problematic smartphone use and behavioral difficulties, quality of life, and school performance among children and adolescents. BMC Psychiatry, 22(1), 1-12.