Smartphone addiction as a moderator of undergraduates’ sense of coherence, social support, and satisfaction with life

The ubiquity of smartphones has introduced an addiction phenomenon, which may attenuate the role of sense of coherence in enhancing social support and satisfaction with life. Utilizing self-regulation theory, in this study we examined the mediating role of social support in the relationship between sense of coherence and satisfaction with life, as well as the moderating role of smartphone addiction in the relationship between sense of coherence and social support. Survey results from 547 undergraduate students in China indicated that social support partially mediated the relationship between sense of coherence and satisfaction with life. Furthermore, as the frequency of smartphone use increased, the positive impact of sense of coherence on social support diminished. The practical implications of these findings are discussed in depth.