Background Adolescent dependency on smartphones is the highest among all age groups. Adolescents can be influenced to evaluate their body image by popular ideals about beautiful bodies via smartphone content, which can cause body image distortion. This study aimed to examine the association between body image distortion and smartphone dependency and the duration of smartphone usage among Korean adolescents.
Methods This study used data from the 16th Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey (2020), and included 42,981 participants, who were grouped according to self-reported duration of smartphone usage and smartphone dependency, as measured by a questionnaire. Body image distortion is defined as an exaggerated subjective body image compared to the actual body image. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression was used to determine the odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of body image distortion on smartphone dependency and usage time after adjusting for various factors related to body image distortion.
Results Among the 42,981 participants, both moderate and high levels of smartphone dependency were associated with body image distortion in boys (moderate: adjusted OR [aOR], 1.11; 95% CI, 1.01–1.22; high: aOR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.05–1.32) and girls (moderate: aOR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.05–1.23; high: aOR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.18–1.42) compared to the low-level dependency group. However, no significant association was found between smartphone usage duration and body image distortion.
Conclusion Our study demonstrated that moderate to high levels of smartphone dependency are associated with body image distortion in adolescents. Therefore, it is necessary to establish strategies for checking and managing adolescents’ smartphone dependence.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Excessive smartphone use, smartphone dependency and body image distortion in Korean adolescents Young Gyu Cho Korean Journal of Family Medicine.2025; 46(2): 58. CrossRef
Association Between Social Networking Service Use and Body Image Among Elementary School Children in Japan Asami Baba, Masumi Suzuki, Rikako Yoshitake, Yumiko Inose, Naomi Omi European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education.2025; 15(7): 125. CrossRef
Social Media Use and Body Image Dissatisfaction Among University Students of Health Sciences in Saudi Arabia Ihdaa J Abdulwahab, Jumana H Khouja, Noha A Alzahrani, Amina Bargawi Cureus.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Background : Suicide is one of the ten largest causes of death in the world. The rate of suicide is recently significantly increasing in Korea and the rate is relatively high, particularly in adolescence. The purpose of this study was to support the establishment of appropriate measures for prevention of suicide through a better recognition of suicide and to investigate the factors that lead to suicide in adolescence with high school students who have large risk factors of suicide due to entrance examination, future courses, etc.
Methods : A questionnaire regarding the factors influencing the impulse of suicide was conducted to 770 high school students in eight high schools in Seoul and local areas between June 1 and July 31, 2005. Suicidal impulses was checked by SSI (scale for suicidal ideation). Depressive mood and internet addiction degrees was evaluated by BDI (Beck's depression inventory) and IAS (internet addiction scale), respectively.
Results : The final subjects of the study were 719 (93.3%) high school students among 770 students in eight high schools in Seoul and local areas, excluding 51 (6.6%) students with insufficient response. There were, 362 (50.3%) male students and 357 (49.7%) female students. Among the total 443 (61.6%) of the subjects had a high risk of suicide. The risk was high in subjects whose parents were divorced, who solved their difficulties by themselves, either expressed suicidal ideation to friends or not expressed suicidal ideation, knew an suicidal internet site and had freguent visits to the internet site. And alcohol experience, drug abuse, BDI and IAS were also connected with a high risk of suicide (P＜0.05). Marital status of parents, resolution of problems, expression of suicidal ideation, BDI and IAS were independent factors affecting SSI (OR= 3.7, 0.7, 0.8, 2.4, and 1.6, P＜0.05) in logistic regression analysis.
Conclusion : High suicidal risk is associated with complex factors. We have discovered several causes which augment the impulse of suicide in adolescence. They are parent's divorce or separation, an expression of suicidal ideation, depressive mood, and the extent of internet addiction, etc. Therefore in order, to prevent adolescent suicide, a unified personal, family, and social efforts are required.
Background : Nowadays the addictive use of internet is becoming a serious social and health problem. The authors performed a study in PC bang users to evaluate the prevalence of addictive internet use and the association between addictive internet use and behavioral and psychological factors.
Methods : A face-to-face interview survey of 900 Korean internet users at six PC-bangs was performed between 11th and 19th of December, 2002, using standardized questionnaires composed of Young's internet addiction scale, scale of unwillingness to communicate, patient problem questionnaire for screening depression and anxiety, and questions asking internet using patterns and socio- demographic factors.
Results : Of the final 888 participants, 3.4% were identified as addictive users and 41.3% as over-users of internet service. The subjects who were male, unemployed, less educated, using internet mainly at PC bang, using internet more frequently, starting or finishing off internet use usually in the morning, using internet service usually for doing games tended to be more addictive users of internet (P＜0.05). In proportional odds model analysis, increasing duration of internet use (OR=1.22; 95% CI, 1.16∼1.30), daily use of internet (OR=2.06; 95% CI, 1.21∼3.51), finishing off internet use between midnight and 6 a.m. (OR=2.00; 95% CI, 1.30∼3.07), anxiety (OR=5.38; 95% CI, 2.86∼10.1), and increasing approach avoidance (OR=1.05; 95% CI, 1.03∼1.08) were significantly associated with a higher degree of internet addiction.
Conclusion : Addictive use of internet should be suspected in a person who uses internet for long time, daily, and over midnight. An active evaluation and management for anxiety are needed among addictive internet users.
Background : Internet use is taking place as a necessary part in modern life. Recently, internet use among adolescents has bocome a prominent social problem. In accordance with assessment of internet using pattern and addiction, this study analyzed addiction-relating factors. According to analysis of intimate relating factor, this study attempted to provide appropriate countermeasure.
Methods : The author had performed physical examination on the subjects on May, 2001. The subjects were elementary, middle, and high school students. Among them, 913 students were surveyed with questionnaires. Among the 913 students, elementary school students were 222, middle school 369, high school 291, and 31 did not complete the survey. Addiction-relating factors were sex, age, frequency, mostly connected web-site, time, and place. Young's scale was used as internet addiction assessment, 70 points, and above were used as criteria for internet addiction.
Results : There were 32 addicted students among the subjects. By sex, male students were 7, female students 25. By age, elementary school student was 1, middle school students 9, and high school students 22. In frequency, 424 students used the internet more than 5 times per week among all subjects. 30 students used the internet more than 5 times per week among addicted students.
Conclusion : Internet use of chatting site is an intimate addiction-relating factor. Therefore, substitute activity which can reduce computer using time, and frequency should be encouraged. Especially, avoiding chatting site is considered a preventive methive of addiction during the computer using time.
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