Bridging the digital divide: How smartphones are associated with physical, psychological, and social well-being in marginalized groups

This paper examines the digital divide by investigating how smartphone use and digital exclusion are associated with the physical, psychological, and social well-being of marginalized populations—including migrants, people experiencing homelessness, and prisoners—across five correlational studies (total N = 817). The findings reveal both benefits (e.g., fostering integration and connection) and drawbacks (e.g., exacerbating psychological challenges) of smartphone use. Study 1 explored smartphone usage among migrants (N = 278), showing that information-seeking apps (e.g., location services) were positively associated with psychological need satisfaction, physical health, and adaptation, whereas communication apps were not significantly associated with any of the outcome variables. Studies 2a (N = 75) and 2b (N = 174) focused on migrants during their migration journeys. In Study 2a, smartphone use for communication was positively associated with adaptation. In contrast, using smartphones for emotional regulation was linked to poorer psychological well-being in both studies. Study 3 investigated smartphone use among people experiencing homelessness (N = 71), revealing that communication was positively associated with psychological health, whereas use for emotional regulation was tied to lower psychological well-being. Finally, Study 4 examined prisoners (N = 219), linking limited technological skills to poorer physical and psychological well-being, while lack of access alone was not significantly associated with these outcomes. Overall, the results point to meaningful links between smartphone use and experiences of integration and connection among marginalized groups, as well as to poorer psychological well-being associated with using smartphones for emotion regulation and to the adverse effects of digital exclusion.