Problematic Smartphone Use in Young Adults: Psychological Distress, Personal History and Metacognitions

We examined problematic smartphone use (PSU) in young adults. PSU was positively associated with fear of missing out (FoMO) and parenting styles. PSU mediated the relationship between social anxiety and smartphone use metacognitions. Age of first smartphone did not significantly relate to PSU or FoMO or mediate any hypothesized relationships.