Smartphone uses and emotional and psychological well-being in China: the attenuating role of perceived information overload

Smartphone ownership is growing rapidly in China. Using a national sample of smartphone users, this study examined how different uses of the smartphone were related to emotional and psychological well-being, while examining the mediating role of perceived information overload. Results showed that social use, informational use, and entertainment use of the smartphone were positively associated with various indicators of well-being, while social use of the smartphone was also related to perceived information overload. Moreover, perceived information overload mediated the relationship between social use and psychological well-being. The findings point to the important role of perceived information overload in attenuating the potential positive effects of social uses of the smartphone on well-being.