Symptoms associated with mobile phone usage among Turkish university students

Abstract

This study investigate the habits of using mobile phone in terms of various psychological symptoms among university students. The research sample consisted of 391 female (73.6 %) and 134 male (25.2 %) total 531 students of Gazi University. The Brief Symptoms Inventory, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale -42, and demographic information form were used for collecting data.  The mean age was 21.52, the majority of students have a mobile phone(%98.9) and they use one line. Average cell phone usage time was 1-2 hours, following this 3-5 hours users in a week. The ratio of females conneting to Internet with cell phone were %80.5 and males %76.5. There was a significant difference between males and females weekly connection to internet. Females average connection time was longer than males, and also talks longer than males.  There was a significant differences between students who connect to Internet from mobile phone and no connection groups on scores of brief symptoms inventories obsessive compulsif disorder, anxiety, hostility and interpersonal sensitivity subcales. Males have more hostility symptoms.Consistent with the literature there were some risk factors based on psychological symptoms and gender differenece among students problematic cell phone usage behavior..

Keywords: Cell phone usage, cell phone addiction, addiction.