Agreement between self-reported and objectively measured smartphone use among adolescents and adults
Almost everything we think we know about the prevalence, correlates, risks, and benefits of smartphone use is based on individuals’ self-reported estimates of use. Addressing the need for research on digital recall accuracy among adolescents and parents and for specific types of app use, in this stu...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Computers in Human Behavior Reports |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451958824002021 |
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| author | Kimberly M. Molaib Xiaoran Sun Nilam Ram Byron Reeves Thomas N. Robinson |
| author_facet | Kimberly M. Molaib Xiaoran Sun Nilam Ram Byron Reeves Thomas N. Robinson |
| author_sort | Kimberly M. Molaib |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Almost everything we think we know about the prevalence, correlates, risks, and benefits of smartphone use is based on individuals’ self-reported estimates of use. Addressing the need for research on digital recall accuracy among adolescents and parents and for specific types of app use, in this study, we compared self-reports of past-month smartphone use and continuous objective digital trace data of smartphone use provided by 41 adolescents (Mage = 15.5, SD = 1.3, age range = 13–17 years, 56% female) and 40 parents of adolescents (Mage = 45.5, SD = 6.3, 75% mothers). Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) between self-reported and objective measures of total daily use were moderate for adolescents (ICC = .65) and poor for adults (ICC = .18). Consistency between self-reported and objective use of particular types of apps varied widely, with ICCs ranging from .25 (games) to .73 (social media) among adolescents and from .26 (texting and YouTube) to .79 (games) among adults. Evidence did not support a recency bias in subjective estimates. These findings, along with prior research in other samples, make a strong case that it is time to abandon the use of self-report measures of smartphone use in research on its effects. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7593fdb0ed254ef5bcca9151dea4173c |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2451-9588 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Computers in Human Behavior Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-7593fdb0ed254ef5bcca9151dea4173c2025-08-20T02:54:58ZengElsevierComputers in Human Behavior Reports2451-95882025-03-011710056910.1016/j.chbr.2024.100569Agreement between self-reported and objectively measured smartphone use among adolescents and adultsKimberly M. Molaib0Xiaoran Sun1Nilam Ram2Byron Reeves3Thomas N. Robinson4University of Washington, 3921 W Stevens Way NE119, Guthrie Hall Seattle, WA, United States of America 98195, USA; Corresponding author.University of Minnesota, 290 McNeal Hall 1985 Buford Avenue, Saint Paul, MN, United States of America 55108, USAStanford University, Department of Psychology, 450, Jane Stanford Way, Building 420, Stanford, CA, United States of America 94305, USA; Stanford University, Department of Communication, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Building 120, Stanford, CA, United States of America 94305, USAStanford University, Department of Communication, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Building 120, Stanford, CA, United States of America 94305, USAStanford University, Departments of Pediatrics and of Medicine, School of Medicine, 3145 Porter Drive, Palo Alto, CA, United States of America 94304, USAAlmost everything we think we know about the prevalence, correlates, risks, and benefits of smartphone use is based on individuals’ self-reported estimates of use. Addressing the need for research on digital recall accuracy among adolescents and parents and for specific types of app use, in this study, we compared self-reports of past-month smartphone use and continuous objective digital trace data of smartphone use provided by 41 adolescents (Mage = 15.5, SD = 1.3, age range = 13–17 years, 56% female) and 40 parents of adolescents (Mage = 45.5, SD = 6.3, 75% mothers). Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) between self-reported and objective measures of total daily use were moderate for adolescents (ICC = .65) and poor for adults (ICC = .18). Consistency between self-reported and objective use of particular types of apps varied widely, with ICCs ranging from .25 (games) to .73 (social media) among adolescents and from .26 (texting and YouTube) to .79 (games) among adults. Evidence did not support a recency bias in subjective estimates. These findings, along with prior research in other samples, make a strong case that it is time to abandon the use of self-report measures of smartphone use in research on its effects.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451958824002021Self-assessmentActual screen timeAdolescenceSmartphone usePassive sensing |
| spellingShingle | Kimberly M. Molaib Xiaoran Sun Nilam Ram Byron Reeves Thomas N. Robinson Agreement between self-reported and objectively measured smartphone use among adolescents and adults Computers in Human Behavior Reports Self-assessment Actual screen time Adolescence Smartphone use Passive sensing |
| title | Agreement between self-reported and objectively measured smartphone use among adolescents and adults |
| title_full | Agreement between self-reported and objectively measured smartphone use among adolescents and adults |
| title_fullStr | Agreement between self-reported and objectively measured smartphone use among adolescents and adults |
| title_full_unstemmed | Agreement between self-reported and objectively measured smartphone use among adolescents and adults |
| title_short | Agreement between self-reported and objectively measured smartphone use among adolescents and adults |
| title_sort | agreement between self reported and objectively measured smartphone use among adolescents and adults |
| topic | Self-assessment Actual screen time Adolescence Smartphone use Passive sensing |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451958824002021 |
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