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PILOT STUDY OF
SMARTPHONE ADDICTION AMONG
UTMSPACE STUDENTS

1.0
1.1

INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Technology is already aware in the world right now in helping and making live easier.
This has led to a variety of inventions, including smartphone. Smart phone technology has
evolved over time and is targeting young people in particular to ensure the industry is
growing rapidly, as this group were approachable with something that will simplify their
lives. Compared with those who are already quite old and not concerned with the pace of
technology. The use of smartphones are growing among students, as many things can be done
using just a smartphone. This has resulted in many students rely too heavily on smart phones
as many amenities that are available just by making a touch on the screen.
However, every technology came with pros and cons including smartphone. One of
the thing is addicted in using smartphone.
The traditional concept of addiction was based on a medical model and referred to
dependence associated with the ingestion of a substance, either drugs or alcohol.
Lately, researchers have begun to question this medical model of addiction as the
definitive model and have argued that the concept of addiction needs to cover a
broader range of behaviours. (Psychological Predictors of Problem Mobile Phone
Use, ADRIANA BIANCHI and JAMES G. PHILLIPS)
These new type of addiction are starting to grow in our community. Appropriate used
of smartphone would make our life easier but if it too much used of it, we would create a
generation that only talks through their smartphone in the future. People nowadays, teenagers
especially, are busy with their smartphone no matter where they go, what they are doing and
who they are seeing. Because of that, our group wanted to know the level of smartphone
addiction among UTMSPACE students whether it is still in control or already becoming
worst.

1.2

Statement of the Problem

Although smartphones help us with most of our lives activity, there are some
problems that occur in our society. According to drug-addiction-support website, article by
Amy Williams, there are a few signs to show that you are addicted to smartphone.

Smartphone addictions fall under the category of behavioural addictions. You can
find gambling, eating, shopping, and many more compulsive addictions in this
category. The American Society of Addiction Medicine notes that behavioural

addictions can produce similar feelings to drug addictions. These emotions can take
on the role of producing highs, tolerance, and withdrawal. (Amy Williams, para. 4,
Smart Phone Addiction a growing problem for teens.)
Just imagine a group of people sitting together but all of them are concentrating to
their gadget and not having a talk with one another. This show that most of Malaysians and
most of people in the world are addicted to smartphone. Everywhere they go, they would
bring their smartphone along with them. Does not matter what the age, what your sex, and
what problems that you are facing, smartphones will always be by your side. And it will be
getting worse if some counter measures are not taken into consideration. Some people are
using smartphone while driving. It is not a good habit and will caused accident not only to
them but with others.
1.3

Purposes of the Study

This study will show us the percentage of UTM SPACE students that fall into the
category of addicted to the smartphone. From this study, we can forecast the growth of
smartphone addiction in our society. We also would like to know the main reason of using the
smartphone from UTMSPACE students and how it affects their relationship among family
members. As a result, this study will show us the level of addiction to smartphone among
UTMSPACE student.

1.4

Objectives of the Study

Our objectives are:
1.4.1 To find out the application that people often used based on their age.
1.4.2 To find out the frequency that they used the application in a day. This
includes social life apps, utility apps, business apps, watching movie or
1.4.3
1.4.4

even playing games.

To look at the averaged hour the used their smartphone.
We will also look at the effect of using smartphone to people lifestyle
referring to family and friendship bonding. With the research, we can
find out on how to create the stronger bond between family and

1.4.5

friendship.
This research will help us to tell on the average hours that
UTMSPACE student spent on their smartphone. Starting from the
moment they wake up in the morning until they are fall asleep again in

1.4.6

the evening.
The reasons and benefit they get by using smartphone are also our
group objectives in doing this research.

1.5

Research questions
The research questions for this research are:
1.5.1 How many people use certain apps based on their age?
1.5.2 How many times that you used the application?
1.5.3 How the smartphone affected to people lifestyle referring to family and
1.5.4
1.5.5
1.5.6

1.6

friendship bonding?
How many hours that you spent on your smartphone?
What are the reasons you are using smartphone?
What benefit do you get by using smartphone?

Significance of the Study

We want see the level of smartphone addiction level among UTMSPACE student. We
wanted to see how this smart phone addiction affect their relationship in the family. The
bonding between family and friends will be drifted away if the addiction problems are not
taking into consideration. Relationship between communities will be distance from time to
time because people are busy with their lives entertaining themselves with smartphone.
People communication skills also will be decreasing from time to time since smartphone
addicts are usually spent time with machine and not people. This research will also help the
application developer to determine the type of application that they can came up with in the
future.

1.7

The scope of the Study

The research will take place in UTM SPACE student that is visited by various age and
races of people. They will answer a questionnaire that will provide to them in order for us to
gain information how far they are addicted to their smartphone. The questionnaire will
contain a set of 8 question including various type of question.
The respondent are not dedicated to a specified gender and age. Male, female, young
and old are required to fill the questionnaire in order for us to gather information for our
research. About 31 respondent will be chosen randomly. They will answer the questionnaire
on the spot and return it back to us. It will take about five to ten minutes for them to answer
the questionnaire.

2.0 Literature Review

2.1 Definition of Smartphone Addiction
The proliferation of the smartphone has plunged our world into a new era of
technology dependence.
Smartphone addiction is a real issue for modern society and, like most addictions,
people who are addicted dont truly realize how addicted they are. And even if you arent
addicted yourself, chances are good that you know someone who is.
( Psychology today of smartphone addiction, DALE ARCHER M.D)
Smartphone addiction can be defined as a state of being enslaved to smartphone and
its related service. This study explores the phenomenon and problematic use of UTMSPACE
students. Also smartphone addictive use survey form was developed and tested to evaluate
precedents of smartphone addiction among students in UTMSPACE.

2.2 History of Smartphones

It seems as though just about everyone owns a smartphone, even though it wasn't that
long ago that the technology was first introduced to the general public. With their advanced
computing capabilities and other features, smartphones have quickly gained popularity. Prior
to the invention of smartphones, there were several devices that were used including regular
mobile phones, and PDA devices. Eventually technology was combined and the concept of
the smartphone was born.
The first concepts that eventually led to the invention of the smartphone date back to the
1970s. It was not however until 1992 that IBM came up with a prototype mobile phone that
incorporated PDA features. The device was demonstrated the same year at a computer
industry trade show called COMDEX. In 1994, BellSouth came up with a more refined
version of the phone and called it the Simon Personal Communicator. This is the first device
that could really be referred to as a smartphone. The Simon Personal Communicator was able
to make and receive calls, send faxes and emails, and more.
In the later part of the 1990s, many mobile phone users began carrying PDAs (personal
digital assistants). Early PDAs ran on various systems such as Blackberry OS, and Palm OS.
Nokia released a phone combined with a PDA in 1996. The device was called the Nokia
9000. In 1999, a smartphone was released by Qualcomm. The PDA smartphone, as it was
called, featured a Palm PDA with internet connectivity capabilities. Smartphone technology

continued to advance throughout the early 2000s. These advances in technology brought
about the introduction of the iPhone, the Android operating system and more.
(The History of the Smartphone by BRAD MCCARTY)

2.3 Classification of Smartphone Addiction

They are many different kinds of technology that can be classed as mobile. Mobile to most
means portable and movable. It also seems to implicate a personal as opposed to shared
context of use and term mobile and personal are often used interchangeably but a device
might be one without necessarily being the other.
We can classify the range of mobile technologies using two orthogonal dimensions of
personal vs shared and portable vs static. These kinds of devices are what people most
commonly think of in relation to mobile technologies.
The networked nature of such devices affords communication and information sharing
meaning the information within them can be shared easily. These devices are portable
because they are taken from palace to palace and hence they can be available in many
different locations. The are personal portable technologies.
(Smartphone Addiction by DALE ARCHER M.D)

2.4 Research in Smartphone Addiction

Children using electronic gadgets like smartphones at a younger age are increasingly
exposed to certain social and health risks that come with it. Parents, however, do not fully
understand the negative effects of using such devices. Many also do not teach their children
how to use them properly.
These preliminary findings are part of a new study led by Dr Nirmala Karuppiah from
the National Institute of Educations (NIE) early childhood and special education academic
group.
Researchers of the NIE study visited the schools of 60 children from five pre-schools
to observe their smartphone habits. There was an equal mix of boys and girls, aged five and
six year old. She pointed out health risks such as poor sitting postures and children straining
their eyes by sitting in front of and staring at electronic screens for too long. There is also
social and emotional risk like gaming addiction and cyber-bullying, which could lead to
serious consequences. - (Dr Nirmala Karuppiah The Star Online June 6 2013)

4.0

FINDINGS AND DECISIONS

4.1

Description of the Data

4.1.1

Recently smartphones and technology strike the market and manage to influence users

globally. So this topic is chosen to see how far the smartphone. This case was carried out by
distributing a set of questionnaire to 26 respondent of UTM SPACE student.
4.2

Description of the Findings

4.2.1

The finding from the questionnaire is to validate the addictiveness of smartphone

usage on people nowadays. The age, the frequency, the reason of smartphone usage, and also
the respond from family members are quantitative data used to be analysed.
4.3

Discussions/Analysis of Findings

4.3.1

Age

Age
20 to 30

4%

31 to 40

23%

41 to 50
51 and above
73%

Figure 1: Age group of UTMSPACE student that used smartphone

Based on figure 1, all the respondent are currently studying as a UTM space student
and most of them are majority in the range of 20 to 30 years old, while the least respondent
are in between 41-50 years old.

4.3.2

How many hours do you spend on your smartphone per day?

Usage of time of using smartphone per day

< 1 hour
2

1 2 hours
9

3 - 5 hours
6 - 8 hours
8 hours and above

Figure 2: Usage time of using smartphone per day for UTMSPACE student

Figure 2 shows the duration of smartphone usage (hours) by the respondents per day.
9 of them are using the phone only within 1 to 2 hours, followed by 8 respondents using the
smartphone for 3-5 hours, and only 2 of them were using the phone less than 1 hour.
Possibly, they did not spend too much time on smartphone was because their leisure
time was limited. And have family to spend more quality time with.
In addition, they enrolled as part time students during weekend. Last but not least, perhaps
most of the smartphones batteries could not withstand more than 2 hours with full usage.

4.3.3

Frequency of use of these apps (per day)

80

70
10
60
7
50

40
Games
30

Social network

14 Apps
Business

Entertainments

12
17

20

10
7
1
Never

15

7
3

1 5 times

Utilities

4
4

14

Education apps

5 to 10 times

12
2
1
1
8
More than 10 times

Figure 3: The frequency used apps per day

Figure 3 shows the frequency of the application usage per day by the respondents.
Based on the sample group of respondents, 12 of them are not interested playing games in
smartphones, 10 of them only play for 1 to 5 times daily and 4 out of 26 respondents are
addicted to games; more than 10 times per day. This is because playing games will be
consuming more battery usage and some of the games need to be paid for installation.
As for social network, most of the users are addict which they spend more than 10
times per day, and the number of respondent that log on to social networks 1 to 5 times and 5
to 10 times are equal; 7 people each. Since most of the news is published and easy to get up
to date through social network, most of the respondents prefer to do so.
Less respondent wish use the business application; where almost 54% of them never
use the application, while only minority; 8% of them are using more than 10 times for that
purpose. Since the needs of that application only applicable when they are interested to get

involved in business, thats why only the respondents who have their own business would do
so.
65% of the respondent love to enjoy the entertainment through smartphones 1 to 5
times daily, 7 of them will log on 5-10 times per day, and 1 person each for the rest of
categories. From the time when technology strikes the global communication and can be
reached by finger, entertainments can be viral quickly and will be the main source of why
people tend to use smartphone regularly for entertainment.
As for utilities usage in the smartphone, 15 out of 26 respondent are fully utilized the
application provided for 1 to 5 times, 3 of them using it for 5 to 10 times, and the rest of 8
respondents are using it more than 10 times. The sophisticated phones nowadays can help to
ease and assists humans life; such as alarm clock, calendar, calculator and some more and
easy for the respondent to rule everything in one phone.

4.3.4

Family members complain about frequency of using Smartphone

Do any your family members complain about your frequency of using Smartphone?
Always

3 1

Sometimes
Rarely

Never
17

Figure 4: Family members complain about frequency of using Smartphone

Figures 4, shows the frequency of family members complaint on the usage of

smartphone.65% of the respondent family members sometimes complaint.
5 of them rarely complained by their family, 3 of the respondent family never complained,
while only 1 out of 26 respondent will always complain.
People nowadays prefer to have a conversation by social network and are pleased
with most of the things happen in the internet rather than reality of life. But somehow, some
people are well-managed their life by balancing the quality time with family and leisure time
for themselves. Thats their family will complain for some times only.
Below is state reasons why family members complained of using Smartphones oftenly.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a painful, progressive condition that occurs when the median nerve
in the wrist is compressed.
Danger of short-sightedness is increased by constant looking onto the screen, especially at
young age.
Social disconnection people think they are more social than ever before because of their
omnipresent smartphones allowing them to text with their friends. Facebook, Twitter, Viber,
WhatsApp, KakaoTalk all of them make us feel that we are socially active while we are
just alienating ourselves from the others.

 Digital Dementia is characterized by memory deficits, attention disorders and emotional

flattening among young people who spend too much time using a gaming device, web
searching, texting, and multimedia on smartphones.

Insomnia is a sleeping disorder. There are many causes and smartphones are one. Do you take
your smartphone to bed? Do you play or text even after the lights are off? Those are the
reasons causing your troubled sleeping at night and tiredness during the day.

4.3.5

Reason of using Smartphone

60

50

40

5
4

19

Games
Social network

30

20

10

5
2
9

14

15

Education apps

14

0
Always

Business Apps

Sometimes

5
2
4

11

10

2
2

1
1
1

Rarely

Never

Entertainments
Utilities

Figure 5: Reason of using smartphone

Figure 5 shows the reason behind the smartphone usage. 19 out of 26 respondents
always choose to use social network as the main reason to utilize smartphone. The technology
nowadays has improved the effectiveness of the communication and drive the user to use
provided social networks.
Furthermore, almost 58% of the respondents would sometimes choose education to be
installed in their phones. Recently people can even learn new different languages with one
touch on phone, which is a bonus point for them to have extra knowledge. But in some way,
another 31% of the respondents are rarely using the smartphone for educational purpose
Last but not least, 10 out of 26 of them never use any business application in their
phones. Most of them are part time students and employed, so less commitment on business
purpose is expected from the respondent.

6.0

RECOMMENDATION

6.1

Recommendation Based on the Findings

Based on the findings, we believe that all respondent which represent the community

are not addicted with the smartphone. Most of them were using smartphone for utilities which
is include the alarm clock, calendar and many more that offers them with easy and convenient
way of life. Several of them are using smartphone as a device for them to release their stress
of life by playing games, listening to music and connected them to their friends and family
via socialize application.

As a result, student in the range of age 20 to 50 years old at UTMSPACE are using
their smartphone as a tools to make their life simpler and more exciting. It is shown that the
term addicted to smartphone are not exist.
We would like to recommend that user must control themselves sometime so that
addiction to smartphone can be prevent from being arise in our community.
6.2

Recommendation for the Future research

As shown in the above info, after the data collected and studied, it shows that

smartphone were used as a tool to gain information about what happened in their
surroundings. We would like to suggest, in the future research, to find out Which application
that people are using in most of the time with their smartphone? in the scope of bigger
community. By then, we can find out whether the addiction to smartphone syndrome are exist
in our community or are we still safe from the diseased.

APPENDIX
Source
1. Amy Williams. Smart Phone Addiction a growing problem for teens. Retrieved from
http://www.drug-addiction-support.org/Smart-Phone-Addiction.html
2. Nathan Hurst, (2015). iPhone separation linked to physiological anxiety, poor
cognitive performance. News Bureau.
Retrieved from http://munews.missouri.edu/news-releases/2015/0108-iphoneseparation-linked-to-physiological-anxiety-poor-cognitive-performance-mu-studyfinds/

3. ADRIANA BIANCHI and JAMES G. PHILLIPS (2005). Psychological Predictors of

Problem Mobile Phone Use.
4. Luigi Rodino. (2014). Smartphone Addiction among University Undergraduates: A
Literature Review. Journal of Scientific Research & Reports 4(3): 210-225, 2015;
Article no.JSRR.2015.025 105(2.

5. Melinda Carstensen, (2015). Are you addicted to your smartphone.

Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com/health/2015/06/03/are-addictedto-your-smartphone/
6. Brad Mccarty, (2011). The history of the smartphone. Retrieved from
http://thenextweb.com/mobile/2011/12/06/the-history-of-the-smartphone/
7. Dr Karuppiah, (2013). Children using gadgets early face social and healty
risks. Retrieved from http://www.thestar.com.my/story/?file=
%2f2013%2f6%2f6%2fasia%2f13203359&sec=asia
8. Laura Naismith,Peter Lonsdale,Giasemi Vavoula, (2013). Literature review
in mobile technologies and learning. Retrieved from
http://www2.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/lit_reviews/Mobile_Revi
ew.pdf

QUESTIONNAIRE