Parental Rules and School Smartphone Bans: Do They Shape Problematic Smartphone Use and Academic Wellbeing in Young Adulthood?

The rapid integration of smartphones into daily life has led to growing concerns about problematic smartphone use (PSU), particularly among young adults. PSU has been associated with various negative outcomes, including reduced wellbeing and academic difficulties, making it essential to better understand its possible determinants. Childhood environments play a central role in shaping long-term behaviours, particularly the home and school settings where children spend most of their time. Therefore, this study examined whether parental rules regarding smartphone use, and smartphone bans in primary and secondary school, exert long-term effects on PSU in young adulthood. Additionally, it examined whether PSU and academic wellbeing are associated. Sixteen female students (N = 16) attending a Dutch university participated in this study, completing questionnaires pertaining to the variables of interest. Specifically, PSU and academic wellbeing were measured with commonly-used instruments...Show moreThe rapid integration of smartphones into daily life has led to growing concerns about problematic smartphone use (PSU), particularly among young adults. PSU has been associated with various negative outcomes, including reduced wellbeing and academic difficulties, making it essential to better understand its possible determinants. Childhood environments play a central role in shaping long-term behaviours, particularly the home and school settings where children spend most of their time. Therefore, this study examined whether parental rules regarding smartphone use, and smartphone bans in primary and secondary school, exert long-term effects on PSU in young adulthood. Additionally, it examined whether PSU and academic wellbeing are associated. Sixteen female students (N = 16) attending a Dutch university participated in this study, completing questionnaires pertaining to the variables of interest. Specifically, PSU and academic wellbeing were measured with commonly-used instruments in the field, namely the Smartphone Addiction Scale – Short Version (SAS-SV) and Student Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire (CSSWQ), respectively. Although this study was originally designed as correlational, the limited sample size necessitated an exploratory approach yielding preliminary insights. Statistical analyses did not yield any significant results, indicating that parental rules and school smartphone bans did not appear to largely shape later PSU, and that PSU and academic wellbeing appear to be unrelated. However, the observed descriptive trends indicate potential patterns that are worthy of further investigation. Given the small sample size, it is imperative that these results be interpreted with caution. Future research using larger, more diverse samples with greater statistical power is needed to clarify the developmental and contextual factors that shape PSU and its implications for students’ academic wellbeing, thereby informing prevention and intervention efforts.Show less

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Parental Rules and School Smartphone Bans: Do They Shape Problematic Smartphone Use and Academic Wellbeing in Young Adulthood?