From Screens to Solitude: Investigating Nomophobia as a Driver of Loneliness and the Mediating Role of Social Support among Pakistani Students

Abstract

Aim of the study: In Pakistan, a country with a rapidly growing smartphone user base, assessing nomophobia, or the fear of being without a mobile phone, is becoming increasingly important, particularly among university students. The study investigated the relationship between nomophobia, loneliness, and social support as a mediator among Pakistani students.

Method: Study design cross-sectional survey; utilizing convenience sampling approach a data of 466 university students was collected belonging to both the genders and different socio-economic background.

Results: Out of 466 participants, 23% reported severe level of nomophobia and 59% with moderate level. Moderate positive correlation was found between nomophobia and loneliness, indicating that people with higher levels of nomophobia were lonelier. Furthermore, a slightly negative correlation was found between nomophobia and social support. Furthermore, a moderate negative correlation was found between loneliness and social support indicating that those who experienced higher levels of loneliness had less social support. Through linear regression nomophobia reported a significant predictive relationship with loneliness. Social support has significant predictive relationship with loneliness and with nomophobia. Hierarchical regression analysis results indicated that Nomophobia is the strongest and only meaningful predictor of loneliness, whereas demographic, socioeconomic, and technology-use variables had negligible effects.

Conclusions: The research highlights the importance of facilitating meaningful face-to-face interactions to build effective social support systems and the potential negative effects of excessive smartphone usage on mental and emotional health, especially loneliness. These results advance the understanding of the complex interplay between nomophobia, loneliness, and social support, and provide useful insights for interventions to promote healthier smartphone usage and social well-being.