Digital Intervention for Problematic Smartphone Use in Undergraduate University Students: A Systematic Case Series

Introduction: Smartphones have become the primary device for accessing the online world. The potential for smartphone use to become problematic is increasingly recognised, with students at particular risk due to their high usage and reliance. There is limited research evaluating interventions for problematic smartphone use. The present research aimed to develop and evaluate a digital intervention for problematic smartphone use in the student population. Method: A mixed-methods case series design was used to evaluate the acceptability and impact of the intervention for ten participants. The intervention included: goal setting, personalised feedback, mindfulness and behavioural suggestions. Participants were asked to complete self-report measures of problematic phone use, online dependency, mindfulness, wellbeing, psychological distress, sleep and self-determination. Participants’ phone use and sleep were also measured directly. Results: The results provide evidence for the intervention package reducing problematic smartphone use, although there was no observable impact on overall screen time. There was some evidence of positive influences upon online dependency, mindfulness, wellbeing, and sleep. No particular component of the intervention seemed more effective than the others. Discussion: The findings suggest that the intervention package is both effective and acceptable to students wishing to better manage their problematic smartphone use.