Smartphone Use and its Influence on Anxiety, Personal Satisfaction and Academic Performance in University Students
Abstract
The research examines the influence of excessive smartphone use on three key dimensions of university life: anxiety, perceived personal satisfaction, and academic performance. A quantitative approach was adopted with a non-experimental cross-sectional design and a descriptive-correlational scope. Validated psychometric instruments were used, including the Smartphone Dependence and Addiction Scale (EDAS), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and the University Academic Performance Scale (RAU), administered to a sample of 370 students. The findings revealed that students with greater smartphone dependence exhibited significantly higher levels of anxiety, lower academic performance, and higher levels of personal life satisfaction. It was concluded that constant interaction on social media and mobile applications fostered states of anxiety by generating a permanent need for connection, which affected the students' emotional well-being. Likewise, this technological distraction decreased concentration and academic organisation, negatively impacting university performance and achievement. In addition, an increase in personal satisfaction was observed, which could be related to a feeling of emotional disconnection or social isolation. These results underscore the need to promote educational strategies that favour a balanced use of technology, minimising its negative effects in the academic context.
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