Exploring the prevalence of nomophobia in a Canadian university: An environmental scan.

Smartphone ownership and engagement are at an all-time high. Excessive smartphone use may impart smartphone-specific anxiety; specifically, the fear of being unable to access or use one's smartphone, or nomophobia. Young adults, in particular, are at higher risk for nomophobia, given higher ownership of and engagement with smartphones. Notably, little research has been done in a Canadian context.

Objective

To conduct an environmental scan of nomophobia prevalence in a Canadian university.

Participants

Full-time and part-time university students.

Methods

The Nomophobia Questionnaire and demographics were collected via mass emailer of all students at the host institution (n = 1,002).

Results

Findings indicate moderate-to-high levels of nomophobia among respondents, with nearly a quarter of respondents reporting severe nomophobia. Respondents who identified as women were an undergraduate, and/or owned an Apple device reported significantly higher nomophobia.

Conclusions

This study provides evidence for comparable levels of nomophobia between Canadian post-secondary students and recent global research. Future research should explore nomophobia within a more nationally representative sample.