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Mobile Device Usage before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic among Rural and Urban Adults Jonnatan, Livia; Seaton, Cherisse L.; Rush, Kathy L.; Li, Eric Ping Hung, 1978-; Hasan, Khalad

Abstract

Technology has played a critical role during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite affording a safe way for people to connect with others, the potential for problematic device usage (e.g., overuse, addiction) should be considered. The goal of this study was to examine mobile device use during the COVID-19 pandemic among rural and urban people in Canada. Based on an online survey conducted in the summer of 2021 in British Columbia (n = 465), participants self-reported spending more hours per day (M = 8.35 h) using technology during the pandemic compared to prior (M = 6.02 h), with higher increases among urban participants (p < 0.001). Mobile device usage scores were highest for reasons of social connectedness and productivity, with no rural/urban differences; however, urban participants reported higher use of mobile devices for their mental well-being (p = 0.001), but also reported higher, continuous use (p < 0.001), addiction (p < 0.001), and detrimental impacts on their physical health (p < 0.001) compared to rural participants. Because urban participants were more vulnerable to mobile device overuse and addiction during the pandemic, researchers and policy makers should consider the ongoing role and positive/negative impacts of mobile device use, paying particular attention to urban populations.

Item Metadata

Title
Mobile Device Usage before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic among Rural and Urban Adults
Creator
Jonnatan, Livia; Seaton, Cherisse L.; Rush, Kathy L.; Li, Eric Ping Hung, 1978-; Hasan, Khalad
Publisher
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
Date Issued
2022-07-06
Description
Technology has played a critical role during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite affording a safe way for people to connect with others, the potential for problematic device usage (e.g., overuse, addiction) should be considered. The goal of this study was to examine mobile device use during the COVID-19 pandemic among rural and urban people in Canada. Based on an online survey conducted in the summer of 2021 in British Columbia (n = 465), participants self-reported spending more hours per day (M = 8.35 h) using technology during the pandemic compared to prior (M = 6.02 h), with higher increases among urban participants (p < 0.001). Mobile device usage scores were highest for reasons of social connectedness and productivity, with no rural/urban differences; however, urban participants reported higher use of mobile devices for their mental well-being (p = 0.001), but also reported higher, continuous use (p < 0.001), addiction (p < 0.001), and detrimental impacts on their physical health (p < 0.001) compared to rural participants. Because urban participants were more vulnerable to mobile device overuse and addiction during the pandemic, researchers and policy makers should consider the ongoing role and positive/negative impacts of mobile device use, paying particular attention to urban populations.
Subject
mobile device usage; COVID-19; social connection; productivity; well-being
Genre
Article
Type
Text
Language
eng
Date Available
2023-01-10
Provider
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
Rights
CC BY 4.0
DOI
10.14288/1.0423024
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/2429/83621
Affiliation
Health and Social Development, Faculty of (Okanagan); Management, Faculty of (Okanagan); Science, Irving K. Barber Faculty of (Okanagan); Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics and Statistics, Department of (Okanagan); Nursing, School of (Okanagan)
Citation
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19 (14): 8231 (2022)
Publisher DOI
10.3390/ijerph19148231
Peer Review Status
Reviewed
Scholarly Level
Faculty
Rights URI
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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Rights

CC BY 4.0