According to research from Semmelweis University, problematic smartphone use is not caused by personality alone, but by weak self-control and a strong fear of missing out on social events (FoMO). The study published in Acta Psychologica also highlights that excessive phone use not only causes psychological difficulties, but can also lead to long-term physical consequences: Poor posture may impair balance, slow reaction time, and make it harder to concentrate.
Researchers at Semmelweis University investigated how smartphone use relates to mental and physical health, as well as cognitive functions, among students aged 18 to 35. In the online questionnaires, participants reported whether they had ever missed a planned task because of their phone use, and whether their phone was on their mind even when they weren’t using it. Participants were also asked about their daily active smartphone use and the types of activities they used their phones for.
The participants’ personality traits and mental state were also examined. One questionnaire measured neuroticism, meaning a tendency to experience negative emotions such as anxiety, low mood, fear, and anger. Another assessed self-control, and a third measured FoMO, the fear of missing out on events and peers’ activities.
Based on usage patterns, the researchers identified three groups. “Purely social” users relied on their phones mainly to communicate with friends and acquaintances, build social connections, and for social purposes. “Moderately process-oriented” users spent less than four to five hours a day on their phones for social purposes, news, entertainment, and passive scrolling, but spent less than four to five hours a day on their devices. About one third of participants were classified as “strong process-oriented” users, spending four to five hours or more per day on their phones, mainly for content consumption rather than social communication.
“Our main finding is that personality alone—such as a high level of neuroticism—does not make someone addicted to their phone. People who are more prone to negative emotions like anxiety, depression, or stress do not automatically become addicted. What really matters is how well they can control their behavior, emotions, and impulses, and how strongly they fear missing out,” said Dr. Johanna Takács, senior research fellow at the Faculty of Health Sciences at Semmelweis University and lead researcher of the study.
The study shows that the main problem is not the amount of time spent on phones, but how they are used. Passive scrolling on social media—such as watching short videos or browsing feeds—constantly exposes the brain to fast stimuli. This overloads attention, reduces concentration, and can cause mental fatigue over time.
Cognitive tests showed that “strong process-oriented” users performed worse on attention and memory tasks than expected for their age. They also slept worse, felt a stronger need for constant new stimulation and had more difficulty controlling their impulses when they wanted to check or do something immediately.
The study found that the duration of phone use was mainly associated with physical effects.
“When people hold their phones at waist or chest level and look down at them, the head moves forward, creating a forward head posture, also known as ‘text neck.’ This puts extra strain on the neck and can cause pain or early wear of the neck joints.
The neck contains sensors that tell the brain how the head is positioned. If a forward head posture is maintained for long periods, these signals can change and lead to balance problems. These effects are not limited to phone use but can also influence everyday movements,” said Beáta Seregély, assistant lecturer and expert responsible for the physical measurements in the study.
The researchers stress that the goal is not to ban phones or punish young people for using them. Instead, the focus should be on helping them use their phones more consciously. Simple steps can help, such as limiting notifications—especially from social media and messaging apps—setting time limits for social media, avoiding phone use before bedtime, and promoting more physical activity and maintaining good posture.
For mental prevention, it is especially important to help young people develop better self-control and feel less afraid of missing out on social events. This can be supported through behavioral training and psychological help. When self-control increases and fear of missing out decreases, personality-related vulnerability is no longer a major risk, and even more sensitive, anxious, or stress-prone individuals are much less likely to become addicted to their phones.
