Effectiveness of multicomponent intervention on smartphone addiction and leisure wellbeing among adolescents of selected PU college in Bangalore

Abstract

This study aims to examine the impact of adolescent smartphone usage on leisure well-being, focusing on how excessive screen time may affect the quality of free time. By developing a multicomponent intervention, the research will promote safe smartphone practices while enhancing leisure well-being. The goal is to bridge the gap between smartphone use and meaningful leisure activities, helping adolescents strike a balance that fosters relaxation and social engagement. An evaluative methodology was employed using a quasi-experimental one-group pretest and posttest design. Purposive sampling was utilized to choose a sample of 140 teenagers enrolled at pre-university colleges. The data was obtained using the Smartphone Addiction Scale - Short Version (SAS-SV), Leisure boredom Scale (LBS), and Leisure Satisfaction Scale (LSS). The difference in the pre-test and post-test scores was statistically significant (p = 0.001) for smartphone usage and the multicomponent intervention. Hence, it is effective in reducing smartphone usage among adolescents. There was a significant difference (p = 0.001) between the pre-test and post-test leisure boredom scores, and there was a significant difference (p = 0.012) between the pre-test and post-test leisure satisfaction scores. The study concludes that leisure boredom is common among adolescents. Boredom during free time leads to smartphone addiction, as the smartphone has attractive features for entertainment. Overuse of the smartphone affects the leisure well-being of adolescents. The multicomponent intervention was proven effective in reducing smartphone addiction and improving leisure well-being among adolescents.