Smartphone Usage among Medical Students in Saudi Arabia

Introduction The internet and smartphone were originally designed to facilitate communication and other activities. However, more recently communication technology appears to have overtaken our daily lives. Regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, career or economic status, and due to the large increase in the use of smartphones in recent years seem to have led considerable number of people to have become psychologically dependent on them. Materials and Methods A total of 243 participants were selected between July 2016 and October 2016 to complete a set of questionnaires, including the SAS and the modified Kimberly Young Internet addiction test (IAT) in the Arabic language. Results There were 128 males and 115 females with different ranges of ages included in this study. Descriptive and factor analyses, Chi-Square tests and correlation analyses were conducted to verify the reliability and validity of the SAS. The internal consistency and concurrent validity of the SAS-A were verified (Cronbachs alpha = 0.917). All of the subscales of the SAS-A were significantly related to the Arabic version of the IAT. Conclusions The smartphone addiction scale Arabic version, which was developed and validated in this study, used effectively for the evaluation of smartphone addiction among medical students in Saudi Arabia.