The relationship between social anxiety and problematic smartphone use: the serial mediation model of perceived social support and smartphone use frequency.

Objectives: Parents and educators have long been concerned about the development and consequences of problematic smartphone use (PSU) among students, especially college students who have more free time at their disposal. Few studies have explored the correlational association between social anxiety and PSU via potential statistical linkage pathways. This study explored correlational associations between social anxiety and PSU and tested a serial statistical mediation model including perceived social support and smartphone use frequency. Methods: An online survey was conducted among college students from a university in China using the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale, the Perceived Social Support Scale, the Smartphone Use Frequency Scale, and the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version. A total of 597 valid questionnaires were obtained (72.86% male). The serial mediation analysis was performed using Hayes' PROCESS macro (Model 6). Results: The results indicated that social anxiety and smartphone use frequency were positively correlated with PSU; perceived social support was negatively correlated with both social anxiety and PSU. All correlation coefficients reached a statistically significant level (all Conclusion: In the correlational model, perceived social support and smartphone use frequency exhibited a statistically significant serial indirect association pattern linking social anxiety and PSU; these correlational findings provide a reference for PSU prevention research.