Date Presented 04/05/2025
Because of the dramatic increase in the use of technology in everyday life, it has become embedded in all aspects of life. Our research study specifically addresses the impact of adolescent smartphone use on occupational participation.
Primary Author and Speaker: Alondra Ochoa
Additional Authors and Speakers: Sharon Cosper, Madison Perreault, Madison Seguin, Michelly Pereira
PURPOSE: The surge in smartphone ownership and need to keep up with technological trends has led to people using their devices more with everyday activities (Liebherr et al., 2020). Smartphones have become an extension of oneself, changing the way people interact with others. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of smartphone use on occupational participation in adolescents.
DESIGN: We conducted a scoping review following PRISMAScR guidelines to identify how smartphone usage affects adolescents’ engagement in desired occupations.
METHOD: PubMed, CINAHL, and Web of Science were searched to identify records discussing adolescents, smartphones, and terms related to occupational participation. Articles included were peer-reviewed, included adolescents between 10-19 years old, published since 2019, and written in English. Articles focusing on the effect of COVID-19 on smartphone usage, other electronic devices, mobile applications or sexting were excluded.
RESULTS: Analysis of results from the 33 articles included in our study reveal that the four main impacts of adolescent smartphone use on occupational participation are mental health, sleep, interpersonal relationships, and productivity. The mental health data displays sub-themes of the prevalence of depression and anxiety. Sleep results exhibit decreased sleep duration and issues falling asleep. Increased conflicts with friends and family impact interpersonal relationships and the impact on productivity centers around decreased academic performance.
CONCLUSION: The results of this study show the notable impact of smartphone use on various aspects of adolescents’ occupational participation, particularly in mental health, sleep, interpersonal relationships, and productivity. By analyzing these areas, we gain insights into how smartphone use can be managed to enhance occupational engagement and can inform interventions aimed at promoting healthier smartphone usage patterns among this population.
References
Liebherr, M., Schubert, P., Antons, S., Montag, C., & Brand, M. (2020). Smartphones and attention, curse or blessing? A review on the effects of smartphone usage on attention, inhibition, and working memory. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 1, 90–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abrep.2017.07.002
Tricco, A. C., Lillie, E., Zarin, W., O’Brien, K. K., Colquhoun, H., Levac, D., Moher, D., Peters, M. D. J., Horsley, T., Weeks, L., Hempel, S., Akl, E. A., Chang, C., McGowan, J., Stewert, L., Hartling, L., Aldcroft, A., Wilson, M. G., Garritty, C., . . . Straus, S. E. (2018). PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR): Checklist and explanation. Annals of Internal Medicine, 169, 467–473. https://doi.org/10.7326/M18-0850
