Motivations for smartphone use and time of use by adults during the COVID-19 pandemic
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2176-7262.rmrp.2023.195478Keywords:
Social isolation, Coronavirus infections , Smartphone, Screen time, Cell phone useAbstract
Introduction: Patterns and motivations for smartphone use are not consistent, thus varying with internet use, which has been an ally in helping people with social distancing measures. Objective: Investigate motivations for smartphone use and time of use by adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Cross-sectional study, performed between May and June 2020, with adults who used smartphones during the pandemic. The information was obtained through an online questionnaire, Google Forms®, containing the socioeconomic variables, the motivations for using the smartphone and the time spent using it (in hours). The categorical data were analyzed using the SPSS software and were expressed as absolute and relative frequencies, through bivariate analysis, applied to evaluate associations between the “increased smartphone use” and socioeconomic variables and motivations using Pearson’s chi-square, considering the significance level of 5%. Results: 658 individuals participated in this study, of which 84.2% said they were using the cell phone for longer periods due to social distancing measures, while part of the population used the smartphone for leisure reasons (27.3%); 30.7% used the device for 7 to 12 hours, with 77.0% reporting that the smartphone helped them with social distancing; and 35.6% reported this technology helped them to maintain their mental well-being; these values showed statistical significance, with p <0.001. Conclusion: The time of smartphone use increased with the pandemic, which had a satisfactory effect on continuing social distancing, as it remotely allows social interaction.
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Copyright (c) 2023 Cesario Rui Callou Filho, July Grassiely de Oliveira Branco, Tatiana de Queiroz Oliveira, Aline Veras Morais Brilhante, Carlos Antonio Bruno da Silva, Ana Paula Vasconcellos Abdon

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