Perceived stress, novelty seeking and self-reported self-control are associated with problematic smartphone use in a non-clinical Korean adolescent sample

Adolescent smartphone overuse has frequently been discussed within the behavioral-addiction literature and is associated with stress, impulsive temperament, and weakened self-control. However, the construct of “smartphone addiction” remains debated because smartphones often serve as access devices for specific online activities. We therefore examined whether perceived stress and novelty seeking were associated with problematic smartphone use severity, and whether these cross-sectional associations were statistically specified through self-reported self-control. In 298 Korean adolescents from a non-clinical convenience sample, we assessed problematic smartphone use severity using the Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS), perceived stress using the 14-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14), novelty seeking using the Junior Temperament and Character Inventory novelty seeking subscale, and self-reported self-control using the Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS). Manifest-variable path analysis estimated direct, indirect, and total cross-sectional associations using observed questionnaire total scores. We also examined sex multi-group models, a PSS × novelty seeking interaction, and supplementary robustness analyses. Higher perceived stress (beta = -0.43, p < .001) and novelty seeking (beta = -0.32, p < .001) were associated with lower self-reported self-control, which was associated with greater problematic smartphone use severity (beta = -0.30, p < .001). Cross-sectional indirect associations via self-reported self-control were significant for perceived stress (beta = 0.13, p < .001) and novelty seeking (beta = 0.10, p = .001). Perceived stress also had a significant direct association with problematic smartphone use severity (beta = 0.20, p = .001), whereas the direct association of novelty seeking was not significant (beta = 0.07, p = .208). The model explained 33.2% of the variance in self-reported self-control and 21.7% in problematic smartphone use severity. The PSS × novelty seeking interaction and formal sex differences were not significant. Perceived stress and novelty seeking showed independent and additive cross-sectional associations with problematic smartphone use severity, partly through lower self-reported self-control. Strengthening self-control and stress-management skills may be relevant prevention targets, although the cross-sectional design precludes causal inference and the findings should not be interpreted as evidence of clinical smartphone addiction.