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Addiction to smartphones and social media among young doctors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 August 2025

N. Rmadi*
Affiliation:
Occupational medicine department, Hedi chaker university hospital, University of Sfax
A. Hrairi
Affiliation:
Occupational medicine department, Hedi chaker university hospital, University of Sfax
I. Ben Hnia
Affiliation:
Occupational medicine department, Hedi chaker university hospital, University of Sfax
R. Affes
Affiliation:
Family medicine department, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
O. Walha
Affiliation:
Family medicine department, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
F. Dhouib
Affiliation:
Occupational medicine department, Hedi chaker university hospital, University of Sfax
M. Hajjaji
Affiliation:
Occupational medicine department, Hedi chaker university hospital, University of Sfax
K. Jmal Hammami
Affiliation:
Occupational medicine department, Hedi chaker university hospital, University of Sfax
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Smartphones and social media have become increasingly common in recent years. However, uncontrolled use can have negative effects on physical and mental health.

Objectives

To evaluate the prevalence of social media and smartphone addiction in a group of young doctors

Methods

Descriptive cross-sectional study of a population of young doctors. Socio-professional and medical data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire on Google Forms. The Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) was used for screening social media addiction, with a score of ≥24 indicating problematic use. The Smartphone Addiction Scale Short Version (SAS-SV) was adopted to determine the degree of smartphone addiction, where a very high score of >40 suggests severe smartphone addiction.

Results

Our population consisted of 64 young doctors. Among them, 63.8% were female. BSMAS and SAS-SV means were respectively 16.14 ± 5.54 and 28.91 ± 7.62. A social media problematic use was assessed in 13% of cases. We identified severe smartphone addiction in 6.7% of cases. In bivariate analysis, female sex was associated with a higher BSMAS score (p=0.046) and younger age was associated with severe smartphone addiction (p=0.049). Moreover, strong correlation was found between smartphone and social media addiction (p=0.00, r=0.79).

Conclusions

Given the potential negative impacts on mental and physical health, it is crucial for healthcare institutions to implement strategies that promote balanced technology use and raise awareness about the risks associated with addiction. Addressing these issues can ultimately enhance the well-being of medical professionals, fostering a healthier work environment conducive to effective patient care.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Information

Type
Abstract
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of European Psychiatric Association
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