Smartphone and Social Media Addiction: Exploring the perceptions and experiences of Canadian teenagers

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dc.contributor.authorAdorjan, Michael
dc.contributor.authorRicciardelli, Rosemary
dc.date.accessioned2022-04-22T17:57:33Z
dc.date.available2022-04-22T17:57:33Z
dc.date.issued2021-02
dc.description.abstract‘Addiction’ to internet-connected technology continues to dominate media discourses of young people. Researchers have identified negative outcomes, including decreased mental health, resulting from anxieties related not to technology per se, but a fear of missing out and social connectivity related to online technologies. Not enough is known, however, regarding young people’s own responses to these ideas. This paper highlights discussions with teenagers around the idea of internet addiction, exploring their experiences and perceptions regarding the idea that ‘kids today’ are addicted to their devices, especially smartphones and the social network sites they often access from them. 35 focus group discussions with 115 Canadian teenagers (aged 13-19 years old) center on their use of information communication technologies, especially contemporary social network sites such as Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook. Our discussions reveal 1) that teens are actively embracing the label of addiction; 2) their ironic positioning occurs despite a felt sense of debased agency in relation to the power of the algorithms and affordances of the technologies mediating their use; and 3) rather than a stark divide between adults as ‘digital immigrants’ vs. young people as ‘digital natives’, our teens positioned themselves in contrast to both their parents and younger siblings, both of whom are criticized as addicted themselves. A consistent theme is the influence of peer groups who socially compel addictive behaviours, including the fear of missing out, rather than the technologies per se. Wider implications for thinking beyond solely young people as suffering from online addiction are considered.en_US
dc.description.grantingagencySocial Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)en_US
dc.identifier.citationAdorjan, M., & Ricciardelli, R. (2021). Smartphone and social media addiction: Exploring the perceptions and experiences of Canadian teenagers. The Canadian Review of Sociology, 58(1), 45–64. https://doi.org/10.1111/cars.12319en_US
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1111/cars.12319en_US
dc.identifier.grantnumber430-2015-00157en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/114572
dc.publisherWileyen_US
dc.publisher.departmentSociologyen_US
dc.publisher.facultyArtsen_US
dc.publisher.hasversionacceptedVersionen_US
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen_US
dc.publisher.institutionMemorial University of Newfoundlanden_US
dc.publisher.policyhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal/1755618x/homepage/fundedaccess.htmlen_US
dc.rightsUnless otherwise indicated, this material is protected by copyright and has been made available with authorization from the copyright owner. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.en_US
dc.subjectinternet addictionen_US
dc.subjectteenangersen_US
dc.subjectsocial mediaen_US
dc.subjectfear of missing outen_US
dc.subjecttechnological affordancesen_US
dc.titleSmartphone and Social Media Addiction: Exploring the perceptions and experiences of Canadian teenagersen_US
dc.typejournal articleen_US
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrueen_US
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