ArticleBMC public health2025
Smartphone overuse and distraction: which relationship with general well-being across different generations?
Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Internet Gaming Disorder, Sleep Quality, and Gaming Time Among High School and University Students in Saudi Arabia.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- The relationship between smartphone distraction and clinical decision-making among nurses.Revista da Associacao Medica Brasileira (1992) · 2026Article
- Social Media Mindsets and Well-Being in Emerging Adults: A Serial Mediation of Facebook Addiction and Stress.Brain sciences · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe appropriate use of smartphones is closely related to individual well-being. However, excessive use of smartphones can have detrimental effects on users. This study explores the relationship between problematic smartphone use, smartphone distraction, and well-being across four different generations.
methodA total of 430 Italian participants ranging across four generations categorized by age groups, completed a comprehensive questionnaire. These groups included Baby Boomers (M = 63.76; SD = 4.50), Generation X (M = 50.94; SD = 4.41), Generation Y (35,88; SD = 2.29), and Generation Z (M = 24.23; SD = 2.73). The questionnaire included socio-demographic information, digital tools usage, digital activities, the Mobile Problematic Use Scale (MPPUS) and its subdimensions-withdrawal and social aspects (WITHD) and craving and escape from other problems (CRAV)-the Smartphone Distraction Scale (SDS) and its subdimensions-attention impulsiveness (ATT IMP), online vigilance (ON VIG), emotion regulation (EM REG), and multitasking (MULT)-and the I COPPE well-being scale. Analyses were conducted using ANOVA, correlations, and hierarchical regression to explore the relationships between these variables. Generational groups and weekly time spent on online activities were included as control variables in the hierarchical regression analysis.
resultResults revealed a positive correlation between MPPS and SDS scores. The younger generation showed higher mean values for MPPS and SDS, except for ON VIG. No significant generational differences were found in well-being subdimensions. WITHD negatively affects interpersonal (β = -0.144; p < 0.05), community (β = -0.172; p < 0.01), psychological (β = -0.128; p < 0.05), general (β = -0.140; p < 0.05), and economic (β = -0.147; p < 0.05) well-being while EM REG negatively affect occupational (β =-0.158; p < 0.05) well-being. Conversely, MULT was positively related to occupational (β = 0.191; p < 0.01) physical (β = 0.131; p< 0.05), and economic (β = 0.124; p < 0.05) well-being.
conclusionThis study illustrates how smartphones often function as an escape from the real word, underscoring the need to manage and educate their use.
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