Digital traps: How technology fuels nomophobia and insomnia in Taiwanese college students

Dec 20, 2024Acta psychologica

How technology use relates to fear of being without phones and sleep problems in Taiwanese college students

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Circadian Biology on OpenScience ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Abstract

A strong association exists between nomophobia and problematic digital behaviors, with problematic social media use being the most prevalent.

Nomophobia is linked to problematic gaming, problematic social media use, and problematic YouTube use.
Problematic social media use is identified as the most common form of maladaptive digital behavior among young adults.
Cognitive overstimulation, emotional dysregulation, and blue light exposure from digital platforms may contribute to compulsive behaviors.
These compulsive behaviors are associated with the development of insomnia in young adults.
Structural Equation Modeling indicates a pathway where nomophobia leads to problematic digital behavior, which in turn results in sleep disturbances.
The study's cross-sectional design and reliance on self-reported data may introduce potential biases.

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This study investigates the relationship between maladaptive digital technology use, which arises from nomophobia, and insomnia among young adults. It specifically focuses on problematic gaming (PG), problematic social media use (PSMU), and problematic YouTube use (PYTU) as significant forms of digital behavior contributing to this contemporary health concern. Adolescents and young adults, being the first generation raised in a highly digitized environment, encounter unique challenges, including the emergence of behavioral addictions. Our findings indicate a strong association between nomophobia and problematic digital behaviors, with PSMU identified as the most prevalent form of maladaptive use. Additionally, PG and PSMU are recognized as substantial contributors to the development of nomophobia. The interaction of cognitive overstimulation, emotional dysregulation, blue light exposure, time displacement, and reward-driven dependency on these digital platforms promotes compulsive behaviors, which subsequently lead to the onset of insomnia. Utilizing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), the study illustrates that nomophobia precipitates problematic digital behavior, which in turn results in sleep disturbances, thereby elucidating a clear pathway from digital dependency to insomnia. The limitations of this study include its cross-sectional design and reliance on self-reported data, which may introduce potential biases. Despite these limitations, our findings underscore the critical role of nomophobia in triggering insomnia through various maladaptive digital behaviors. This highlights the urgent need for targeted prevention and intervention strategies aimed at fostering healthier digital habits and alleviating the adverse health effects of excessive technology use, ultimately enhancing well-being in an increasingly interconnected society.

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Digital traps: How technology fuels nomophobia and insomnia in Taiwanese college students

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