Is smartphone addiction really an addiction?
Panova and Carbonell reviewed quantitative and qualitative research on smartphone use. They concluded that most studies assume smartphone addiction exists, that the evidence does not support the claim from an addiction standpoint, and that excessive use, impulse control difficulties and negative outcomes alone do not justify the label. They proposed problematic use as the term and studying the behaviour in its sociocultural context, including needs, motivations and rewards.
Panova and Carbonell reviewed quantitative and qualitative research on smartphone use. They concluded that most studies assume smartphone addiction exists, that the evidence does not support the claim from an addiction standpoint, and that excessive use, impulse control difficulties and negative outcomes alone do not justify the label. They proposed problematic use as the term and studying the behaviour in its sociocultural context, including needs, motivations and rewards.
Written from the abstract via Hungarian Academy of Sciences repository record, 2026-11-03; full text not read; DOI and pages from Crossref.
What our sources record
Recorded when this source was checked, figures included, with page references and quotation marks removed.
Panova, T., & Carbonell, X. (2018). Is smartphone addiction really an addiction? Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 7(2), 252-259. doi:10.1556/2006.7.2018.49 https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.7.2018.49