Relationship between college students' mobile phone addiction and loneliness:the mediating role of social support

ObjectiveTo explore the relationship of mobile phone addiction and loneliness, social support in college students.

MethodsA total of 1 988 college students were investigated using the Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale(MPATS), Loneliness Scale, University of California at Los Angeles(UCLA) and Social Support Rating Scale(SSRS).

ResultsThe differences of the mobile phone addiction of college students among different gender, grade and love status were statistically significant(P < 0.05 to P < 0.01). The differences of the total score of mobile phone addiction and other four factor scores among different origin places and whether an only-child or not were not statistically significant(P>0.05).The total score of mobile phone addiction and other four factor scores in high-level loneliness college students were higher than those in low-level loneliness college students(P < 0.01).The mobile phone addiction in college students was positively correlated with loneness, and negatively correlated with social supportand other support factors(P < 0.01).The results of structural equation model showed that the social support played partial mediating effect on the relationship between mobile phone addiction and loneliness in college students(P < 0.01).

ConclusionsLoneliness is a risk factor leading to mobile phone addiction.Good social support can help reduce the level of loneliness of college students, and degree of mobile phone addiction.The society and family should give more support and help for college students.