SMARTPHONE USE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AMONG GENERATION Z: ROLE OF PHUBBING

OBJECTIVE: To explore the mediating role of phubbing in the relationship between smartphone addiction and psychological well-being among generation Z (people born between the mid-1990s and late 2000s). METHODS: This cross-sectional survey was conducted on 794 students from two public universities of south Punjab, Pakistan, ranging in age between 18-24 years. Data were collected through a multistage cluster sampling technique. Three reliable and valid measures were used to measure the study variables. Data analysis was done with SPSS-23 and Smart-PLS 3.3.3. RESULTS: Out of 794 respondents, 373 (47%) were males and 421 (53%) were females. Majority (n=442; 55.7%) were from 21-23 years' age group. Most respondents used smartphones for more than five years (38%), followed by 3-5 years (33.6%) and 1-3 years (28.3%), respectively. WhatsApp was the most preferred medium of networking (74.4%), and the primary motive of smartphone use was educational (48.7%). All the scales exhibited excellent reliability; the smartphone addiction scale ( α =0.913), the Phubbing scale ( α =0.887), the psychological well-being scale ( α =0.978), and validity were also achieved through Fornell-Larcker and HTMT criteria. Results of structural model exhibited that smartphone addiction had a significant negative impact on psychological well-being ( β = -0.16, p<0.000), and smartphone addiction was associated with phubbing ( β =0.248, p<0.000), but phubbing did not mediate relationship between smartphone addiction and psychological well-being among generation Z university students. CONCLUSION: Majority of youngsters are using smartphones frequently and heavily. Smartphone addiction is a risk factor for psychological well-being. Smartphone addiction negatively impacts psychological well-being and is positively associated with phubbing behavior.