The Smartphone as a Pacifier and its Consequences
Young adults’ smartphone usage in moments of solitude and relations to self-reflection
This article summarizes a paper authored by Sarah Diefenbach and Kim Borrmann. The paper will be presented at CHI 2019, a conference of Human-Computer Interaction, on Tuesday at 14:00 in the session Human-machine Relationship.
Summary. Nowadays, more and more of our solitary time is spent to engage with our phones — time, that in earlier days may have been spent with contemplation and self-reflection. The present study among 339 young adults examines the specific psychological role of smartphone usage during alone time (e.g. in the subway, waiting, in bed). Results underlined the pacifying role of smartphone usage to cope with negative emotions in the sense of an “attachment object” — providing comfort like a pacifier for infants. Moreover, particular personality dispositions such as a high need to belong and proneness to boredom were associated with more extensive self-reported smartphone usage. Finally, smartphone usage was negatively correlated to self-insight, possibly substituting intense inner debates or self-realizations during alone time.
Context. Since the invention of the first iPhone more than a decade ago, the smartphone’s influence on peoples’ lives has been continuously increasing. Among young adults, the average daily Smartphone usage time is almost four hours. With its handiness and multifunctionality the smartphone has become our “constant companion” and is present across all domains of life: work, relationships, and solitude. The present study aimed to investigate why young adults spend a lot of their solitary time (e.g. in the subway, waiting or in bed) with their smartphones and how that impacts self-reflection and insight.
Research. We surveyed 339 young adults between 17 and 30 years about different measures related to smartphone usage and perception, personality dispositions and self-reflection. Results indicated the following:
People with less capacity for solitude, higher need to belong, and higher proneness to boredom also report more frequent smartphone usage during alone time. A possible interpretation is that people who are more prone to negative emotions during solitude are more likely to use their phones.
The perception of the smartphone as an “attachment object” — an object that helps to reduce negative emotions like stress, sadness or boredom; providing comfort like a pacifier for infants — mediated the relation between personality dispositions and smartphone usage. Meaning people who genuinely feel lonely or bored during alone time only turn to their smartphones if they generally believe that it will provide comfort. In contrast, people who do not perceive the smartphone as an attachment object might rather turn to other things or activities in moments of solitude.
Other than assumed, there was no link between smartphone usage and self-reflection. However, people with a higher smartphone usage during alone time indicated less self-insight. One potential interpretation is that those who engage in self-reflective processes while being on the phone get less out of it. For example, the outcomes of self-reflection while being on the phone are potentially more superficial, because of interruptions like new messages that disturb thought streams or biased self-perceptions through social media.
Conclusions. Our findings reveal that there are young adults who perceive the smartphone as an object which calms them down and helps them to regulate negative emotions such as loneliness or boredom during alone time. This study should be seen as a first exploration, further research is necessary to investigate the following preliminary conclusions:
Computer-Human-Interaction. If the smartphone provides comfort, a well-designed application might form an adequate tool to enhance engagement in self-reflection. Such approaches, however, need profound exploration and evaluation.
Marketing. Digital marketing campaigns might be more effective for those who perceive the smartphone as an attachment object, which releases stress and provides comfort.
Psychoeducation. Workshops on responsible digital consumption could encourage participants to reflect on their current smartphone behavior, using guiding questions such as, “Do I use my phone to escape negative emotions during alone time? How effective is that behavior and are there (better) alternatives?”
For more details, please see the paper accepted to CHI19. Full citation:
Sarah Diefenbach, Kim Borrman, 2019. The Smartphone as a Pacifier and its Consequences. Young Adults’ Smartphone Usage in Moments of Solitude and Correlations to Self-reflection and Insight. In CHI 2019.
