The Effect of Depression on Smartphone Addiction Tendency in University Students: The Double Mediating Effects of Avoidant/Distractive Emotion Regulation Style and Academic Procrastination

Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine the dual mediating effects of avoidant/distractive emotion regulation styles and academic procrastination in the relationship between depression and smartphone addiction tendency among university students. Methods A total of 474 undergraduate students aged 18 and older nationwide were analyzed. They completed a survey that included the Korean version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (K-CES-D), the Emotion Regulation Checklist (ERC), the Aitken Procrastination Inventory (API), and the Smartphone Addiction Self-Diagnosis Scale (S-Scale). The mediating effects were analyzed using Model 6 of the SPSS PROCESS macro and the bootstrapping method to test for statistical significance. Results First, there were significant positive correlations among all variables. Second, a significant double mediating effect of avoidant/distractive emotion regulation style and academic procrastination in the relationship between depression and smartphone addiction tendency. Conclusions Based on the findings of this study, it is proposed that university students who experience depression may engage in attempts to avoid or distract themselves from distressing emotions, which in turn influences academic procrastination. As a form of alternative behavior to procrastination, students may resort to using smartphones, which are highly accessible. This increased smartphone use may lead to reinforcement of the behavior, potentially resulting in a higher tendency toward smartphone addiction. Furthermore, this study suggests that interventions aimed at reducing and preventing smartphone addiction among university students should consider the interconnected roles of depression, avoidant/distractive emotion regulation, and academic procrastination.