14 DAY TRIAL // Kent State University (KSU) researchers with the College of Education, Health, and Human Services argue in a new scientific study that young adults who use their smartphones excessively are more likely to develop symptoms related to anxiety, while their GPA scores tend to decrease proportionally.
Researchers Andrew Lepp, Jacob Barkley, and Aryn Karpinski conducted this investigation on 500+ undergraduate students at KSU, who reported their daily cell phone usage patterns and underwent anxiety measurements daily. The participants allowed the team access to their university records, too.
Correlating these datasets revealed that increased cell phone usage led to an increase in symptoms related to anxiety and to a decrease in overall school performances. Interestingly, students who used their smartphones more often reported lower satisfaction with life and happiness levels overall.
The study suggests that university students should take some time to reflect critically on how, when and how much they use their smartphones. Their need to stay connected should be correlated to the disadvantages of always using their communication devices, such as decreased performances in school, mental and physical problems, as well as decreases in overall well-being, e! Science News reports.