OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to examine the levels of smartphone addiction and fear of missing out (FoMO) among adolescents with hearing loss, and to analyze the relationships between these factors and social anxiety.
METHODS: The study included 26 adolescents with hearing loss (SNHL group) who use hearing aids (HA) or cochlear implants (CI) and communicate through oral language, along with 26 adolescents without hearing loss (control group). The degree of hearing loss and the use of HA/CI among participants with hearing loss, as well as smartphone usage characteristics for all participants, were documented. All individuals completed the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV), the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A), and the Turkish version of the Fear of Missing Out Scale (T-FoMOS).
RESULTS: Adolescents in the SNHL group had significantly higher scores on the T-FoMOS, SAS-SV, and social anxiety in novel situations subscale of the SAS-A compared to those in the control group (p < 0.05). Additionally, adolescents with SNHL reported using smartphones for gaming significantly more often than their peers without hearing loss (p = 0.025). There was a positive correlation between T-FoMOS, SAS-SV, and SAS-A scores (p < 0.05).
CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that children with hearing loss may differ from their peers with typical hearing in terms of their relationship with digital media and psychosocial characteristics, even when they benefit from auditory devices such as CIs or HAs. Therefore, it is important to monitor smartphone use in children with hearing loss and to provide early support for managing FoMO and social anxiety.
