Smartphone Addiction and Self-Esteem among Indonesian Teenage Students

Abstract

Introduction: Smartphone addiction among teenagers is related to self-esteem and self-confidence and is influenced by materialistic factors. Different types of social media consumption affect the level of self-esteem and there is an indirect relationship between smartphone overuse and self-esteem among teenagers. Excessive screen time is also associated with online harassment, sleep deprivation, and poor body mass index status in teenagers. Objective: This study aimed to understand the relationship between smartphone addiction and self-esteem among teenage students aged 12–15 years in Jakarta Province, Indonesia. Methods: We used a cross-sectional design and included teenagers aged 12–15 years from four junior high schools in the East area of Jakarta Province. Study variables included age, gender, parental characteristics, smartphone addiction, and teenagers' self-esteem. Participants completed the Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale and the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale. Results: In total, 315 students participated (52.7% girls). We found that 284 (90.2%) students were in the low self-esteem category, 27 (8.6%) were in the normal self-esteem category, and four (1.3%) were in the high self-esteem category. Most students experienced low smartphone addiction and had low self-esteem; however, those that had high smartphone addiction also had high self-esteem. Although unidirectional and weak, this relationship was statistically significant. Conclusion: Given the relationship between smartphone addiction and self-esteem, we recommend that educators and teachers explore various school-based activities that increase students' self-esteem and social interaction. This may also help reduce the time available for using smartphones. Educators could also vary teaching patterns to keep students engaged in the learning process. Further longitudinal and case-control studies are needed to clarify the causes and effects of the association between smartphones and self-esteem among teenagers.