This study aimed to examine the possible intrapersonal (i.e., attention, depression) and interpersonal (i.e., social relationships with friends, social relationships with teachers) problems related to mobile phone dependency and their impacts on academic achievement in adolescents in South Korea using a national sample of 2159 middle and high school students (1074 male and 1085 female). A structural equation modeling approach with mediation analysis was employed to test the seven hypotheses drawn from conceptual and empirical bases. Results showed that mobile phone dependency negatively predicted attention and positively predicted depression, which in turn, affect social relationships with friends and both Korean language arts and mathematics achievement. Also, the mediating roles of attention, depression, and relationships with friends were found between mobile phone dependency and the academic achievement of middle and high school students in S. Korea. Based on the findings, implications of the current study and future directions for research were discussed.

Studien undersöker nomofobi, en förkortning av ‘no mobile phobia’, där individer upplever negativa känslor eller tankar då de finner sig utan sin mobiltelefon. Med mätinstrumentet Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q) som underlag utvecklades den svenska versionen NMP-Q-SE, som består av 19 påståenden. Explorativ faktoranalys visade att 64% av variansen i svaren förklarades av tre bakomliggande faktorer som namngavs; (1) att förlora tillgång till kommunikation, (2) att förlora tillhörighet och (3) att förlora tillgång till information och bekvämlighet med Cronbach’s α=.939, vilket gjorde instrumentet lämpligt för undersökning av nomofobi med hänsyn till validitet och reliabilitet. Statistisk analys av medelvärdet för de 220 deltagarna motsvarade en måttlig grad av nomofobi enligt klassificeringen, M=64.47, SD=24.267. Signifikanta skillnader mellan kön fanns i faktor 1, där kvinnor (M=30.75, SD=10.38) hade högre poäng än män (M=25.91, SD= 12.40), t(76.67)=2.573, p=0.012. Variansanalys visade att respondenter med högre utbildningsnivå (M=66.50, SD=23.59) uppvisade signifikant högre poäng än dem med lägre utbildningsnivå (M=57.89, SD=23.83) för totalpoäng samt faktor 2 och 3, p=0.02. Deltagarna med en högre daglig skärmtid uppvisade även signifikant högre totalpoäng NMP-Q-SE (M=70.28, SD=25.88) än de med lägre daglig användningstid av mobiltelefon (M=59.30, SD=21.41), t(218)=-3.439, p=0.01, vilket tyder på ett samband mellan ökad användningstid av mobiltelefon och försvårad nomofobi som bör undersökas vidare. / This study explores nomophobia, shortened for no mobile phobia, where an individual experiences negative thoughts or emotions in situations without limited or no access to their mobile phone. Based on the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q), a Swedish version NMP- Q-SE was designed consisting of 19 items. Exploratory factor analysis identified three underlying factors of nomophobia explaining 64% of variance which were named; (1) losing access to communication. (2) losing connectedness and (3) losing access to information and convenience, with Cronbach's α=.939, thus proving the NMP-Q-SE an adequate instrument for exploring nomophobia with validity and reliability. Statistical analysis showed a mean NMP-Q-SE score for the 220 participants reflecting a moderate degree of nomophobia according to the classification, M=64.47, SD=24.267. Significant differences between sexes were found for factor 1, where women (M=30.75, SD=10.38) scored higher than men (M=25.91, SD= 12.40), t(76.67)=2.573, p=0.012. ANOVA results showed that participants with a higher level education (M=66.50, SD=23.59) scored significantly higher than their lower-level education counterparts (M=57.89, SD=23.83) in total scores and factors 2 and 3, p=0.02. There were significant differences in NMP-Q-SE total and factor scores between participants averaging a lower screen time (M=59.30, SD=21.41) and those higher (M=70.28, SD=25.88), t(218)=-3.439, p=0.01, indicating a relationship between extended phone usage time and more severe nomophobia which should be further examined.