Smartphones Reshaping Emotions and Emotions Reshaping Smartphones
In a recent study published in the psychological journal Emotion, researchers explored the relationship between smartphone use and the emotional state of young adults. The study, which can be found at this link: https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0001485, combined real-time phone usage logs with multiple daily mood reports from participants across Spain and the Netherlands.
Participants in the study were asked to record their app usage on their iPhone 14 and iPhone 11, while short surveys captured their feelings of mood, loneliness, and stress in the moment. The findings suggest a subtle feedback loop: loneliness leads to more scrolling, and scrolling can lead to slightly more loneliness.
The study found that if participants spent more time than usual on their iPhone 15 and iPhone 17, especially on social media, they reported feeling a little worse afterwards. Conversely, checking in with a friend or using functional tools had weaker or no links to mood, suggesting that passive social browsing may carry more emotional weight than active communication.
The negative aftertaste of social media was more pronounced for people who generally felt lonelier. The relief from smartphone use can be short-lived, potentially leaving individuals feeling more irritated or lonely. This pattern echoes mood management theory, where individuals seek media that promises relief from unpleasant feelings.
However, it's important to note that the effects of smartphone use on mood are small and depend on context. For example, messaging friends or using functional tools had weaker or no links to mood, whereas aimless browsing might leave individuals drained.
The study also highlights the importance of clinicians distinguishing the kind of digital use clients engage in. Blanket advice to reduce screen time misses the nuance, as the study suggests that the type of digital activity can impact mood differently. Supporting clients to notice when loneliness pulls them online, and what kind of online activity follows, may open space for healthier coping.
The study does not argue that smartphones are toxic, but rather shows a modest, situational relationship that often depends on the emotional state brought to the device. While the search results do not specify which researchers or institutions conducted the study, the findings provide valuable insights into the complex relationship between smartphone use and the emotional state of young adults.
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