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Social isolation, social support and their relationship with smartphone addiction

ABSTRACT The current study aims to detect the association between the compulsive use of smartphones and social interrelation among users, and to assess social isolation and social support among addicted users. An opportunistic sample of 1431 young Kuwaitis aged 17–26 years old was selected. A questionnaire was the major tool used. It was divided to three main parts: demographic information, using social media via smartphone, and some scales: Social Isolation Scale (SIS), Social Support Scale (SS), Smartphone Addiction Scale (SPAS), and Health Symptoms Scale (HSS). SPSS (version 23) was used and ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and regression coefficient were major tools. Data show that the low level of social isolation has a higher mean of smartphone addiction and overall and psychological symptoms, the high level of social support has a lower mean in the overall health and psychological symptoms related to smartphone misuse and the more social isolation, the more smartphone addiction; overall health, somatic and psychological symptoms. Also, the higher the mean of real social support, the fewer overall health, somatic and psychological symptoms, the lower the degree of social media use and the higher the degree of youth involvement in social groups and the higher the degree of using YouTube, the lower the level of social support among young people aged 22 years and above. Smartphone addiction, social support, psychological and somatic symptoms, and degree of involvement in social groups were significantly associated and predictable by level of social isolation. Technology highly effects the youth behavior.