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Connecting Alone: Smartphone Use, Quality of Social Interactions and Well-being

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  • Valentina, Rotondi
  • Luca, Stanca
  • Miriam, Tomasuolo

Abstract

This paper investigates the role played by the smartphone for the quality of social interactions and subjective well-being. We argue that the intrusiveness of the smartphone reduces the quality of face-to-face interactions and their positive impact on well-being. We test this hypothesis in a large and representative sample of Italian individuals. We find that time spent with friends is worth less, in terms of subjective well-being, for individuals who use the smartphone. This finding is robust to the use of alternative empirical specifications or instrumental variables to deal with possible endogeneity. In addition, consistent with the hypothesis that the smartphone undermines the quality of face-to-face interactions, the positive association between time spent with friends and satisfaction with friends is less strong for individuals who use the smartphone.

Suggested Citation

  • Valentina, Rotondi & Luca, Stanca & Miriam, Tomasuolo, 2016. "Connecting Alone: Smartphone Use, Quality of Social Interactions and Well-being," Working Papers 357, University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Economics, revised 31 Dec 2016.
    • Handle: RePEc:mib:wpaper:357
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    4. Drydakis, Nick, 2020. "Mobile Applications Aiming to Facilitate Immigrants' Societal Integration and Overall Level of Integration, Health and Mental Health: Does Artificial Intelligence Enhance Outcomes?," IZA Discussion Papers 13933, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
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    7. Giacomo Degli Antoni & Chiara Franco, 2022. "The effect of technological behaviour and beliefs on subjective well-being: the role of technological infrastructure," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 32(2), pages 553-590, April.
    8. Castellacci, Fulvio & Tveito, Vegard, 2018. "Internet use and well-being: A survey and a theoretical framework," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(1), pages 308-325.
    9. Debra S. Dwyer & Rachel Kreier & Maria X. Sanmartin, 2020. "Technology Use: Too Much of a Good Thing?," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 48(4), pages 475-489, December.
    10. Steven J. Bosworth & Dennis J. Snower, 2024. "Technological advance, social fragmentation and welfare," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 62(2), pages 197-232, March.
    11. Leonardo Chiesi & Paolo Costa, 2022. "Small Green Spaces in Dense Cities: An Exploratory Study of Perception and Use in Florence, Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-21, March.
    12. Lin Tang & Xiaofeng Luo & Yanzhong Huang & Sanxia Du & Aqian Yan, 2023. "Can smartphone use increase farmers’ willingness to participate in the centralized treatment of rural domestic sewage? Evidence from rural China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(4), pages 3379-3403, April.
    13. Tuğba Koç & Aykut Hamit Turan, 2021. "The Relationships Among Social Media Intensity, Smartphone Addiction, and Subjective Wellbeing of Turkish College Students," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 16(5), pages 1999-2021, October.
    14. Marta Golin, 2022. "The effect of broadband Internet on the gender gap in mental health: Evidence from Germany," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(S2), pages 6-21, October.
    15. Peng Nie & Wanglin Ma & Alfonso Sousa-Poza, 2021. "The relationship between smartphone use and subjective well-being in rural China," Electronic Commerce Research, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 983-1009, December.
    16. Anna Irimiás & Tamás Csordás & Kornélia Kiss & Gábor Michalkó, 2021. "Aggregated Roles of Smartphones in Young Adults’ Leisure and Well-Being: A Diary Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-13, April.
    17. Henkens, Bieke & Verleye, Katrien & Larivière, Bart, 2021. "The smarter, the better?! Customer well-being, engagement, and perceptions in smart service systems," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 425-447.
    18. Luca Andriani & Gaygysyz Ashyrov, 2022. "Corruption and life satisfaction: Evidence from a transition survey," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 75(4), pages 511-535, November.
    19. Francesco Billari & Valentina Rotondi & Jenny Trinitapoli, 2020. "Mobile phones, digital inequality, and fertility: Longitudinal evidence from Malawi," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 42(37), pages 1057-1096.
    20. Zhihao Jia & Yan Gao & Liangyu Zhao & Suyue Han, 2022. "Longitudinal Relationship between Cognitive Function and Health-Related Quality of Life among Middle-Aged and Older Patients with Diabetes in China: Digital Usage Behavior Differences," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-13, September.
    21. Arunrat Tangmunkongvorakul & Patou Masika Musumari & Kulvadee Thongpibul & Kriengkrai Srithanaviboonchai & Teeranee Techasrivichien & S Pilar Suguimoto & Masako Ono-Kihara & Masahiro Kihara, 2019. "Association of excessive smartphone use with psychological well-being among university students in Chiang Mai, Thailand," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, January.
    22. Alexandra Palm, 2020. "Mobile phone use and subjective well-being: Implications for responsible research and innovation," Working Papers on Innovation Studies 20200823, Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture, University of Oslo.
    23. Fulvio Castellacci & Henrik Schwabe, 2018. "Internet Use and the U-shaped relationship between Age and Well-being," Working Papers on Innovation Studies 20180215, Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture, University of Oslo.
    24. Fulvio Castellacci & Henrik Schwabe, 2020. "Internet, unmet aspirations and the U-shape of life," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(6), pages 1-22, June.
    25. Xuejiao Chen & Kai Zhang & Yanting Huang, 2023. "Effect of Social Loneliness on Tourist Happiness: A Mediation Analysis Based on Smartphone Usage," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-22, May.

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    Keywords

    Smartphone; Social interactions; Subjective well-being;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • A12 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Relation of Economics to Other Disciplines
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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