The Different Relationships Between Mobile Phone Dependence and Adolescents' Scientific and Artistic Creativity: Self‐Esteem and Creative Identity as Mediators

ABSTRACT Creativity is an essential skill that is at the heart of 21st‐century education. Mobile phone use occupies considerable amounts of time in people's lives and may influence creativity. However, few studies have linked mobile phone dependence (MPD) to adolescents' domain‐specific creativity (science and art). This study investigated the relationship between MPD and the scientific and artistic creativity of 2922 adolescents (10–15 years old) by using the Test of Mobile Phone Dependence, the Middle School Students' Everyday Creativity Questionnaire, the Rosenberg Self‐Esteem Scale, and the Short Scale of Creative Self, all self‐reported measures. Specifically, linear regression analysis and segmented regression analysis were conducted to explore the relationships between MPD and scientific and artistic creativity. The study also investigated the mediating effect of self‐esteem and the chain mediating effect of self‐esteem and creative identity in these relationships. The results revealed potential breakpoint values in the relationship between MPD and both scientific and artistic creativity. Specifically, MPD was negatively associated with scientific creativity when MPD scores were below the breakpoint (mean < 0.52) and with artistic creativity when scores were below its respective breakpoint (mean < 0.54). In contrast, above these breakpoints (mean > 0.52 and > 0.54, respectively), MPD was unrelated to scientific creativity but positively associated with artistic creativity. In addition, MPD predicted scientific creativity via self‐esteem and the chain mediation of self‐esteem and creative identity. Similar mediations were found for artistic creativity in the below‐breakpoint MPD group. Above‐breakpoint MPD predicted artistic creativity via the chain mediation of self‐esteem and creative identity. These findings suggest that educators should raise awareness and discriminately intervene in the effects of smartphone dependence on domain creativity.