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How Much is 'Too Much'?

In a mixed methods study of parents and teens (n=200), 87% (n=174) of participants used language consistent with smartphone addiction narratives when asked about their smartphone feelings and use. Mental health researchers and clinicians do not consistently agree about whether smartphone addiction exists nor what it would look like if it does. Our goal in this study was to explore the patterns of responses that people invoked when talking about the role of smartphones in their lives and the lives of those around them. Responses suggested that both parents and teens are aware of and potentially influenced by a narrative that smartphones are addictive and can lead to negative, though largely undefined, consequences. We examine potential origins of this narrative, including media coverage, and examine the critical need for a deeper examination in the CSCW community of how this narrative could be influencing well-being, sense of self, and sensemaking around smartphone use.