Intergenerational Comparison of the Relationship Between Nomophobia and Social Support in Iran
Keywords:
Nomophobia, Intergenerational Comparison, Smartphone, Yildirim and Correia’s Nomophobia Questionnaire, Lubben’s Social Network ScaleAbstract
Objective: The objective of this study was to conduct an intergenerational comparison of the relationship between nomophobia and perceived social support between the combined Generations X and Y and the combined Generations Z and Alpha at the University of Science and Culture in Iran.
Methods and Materials: This quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted among 7,600 students, administrative staff, and faculty members during the second semester of the 2024–2025 academic year. Based on Morgan’s table, 384 participants were randomly selected (422 questionnaires were distributed to compensate for attrition). Data were collected using the 20-item Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q) developed by Yildirim and Correia (2015), consisting of four dimensions, and the Lubben Social Network Scale (1988), measuring family and friends support. Data analysis was performed using SPSS, including normality tests, confirmatory factor analysis to assess construct validity, Cronbach’s alpha for reliability, analysis of variance (ANOVA) for generational comparisons, and regression analysis to examine the relationship between variables.
Findings: The results indicated that there was no statistically significant direct relationship between social support and nomophobia (p > 0.05). However, significant intergenerational differences were found in both nomophobia and social support. Generations Z and Alpha reported significantly higher total nomophobia scores compared to Generations X and Y (p < 0.001). The largest generational difference was observed in the “loss of connectedness” dimension, whereas the smallest difference was found in “inability to access information.” In addition, the overall perceived social support score was significantly higher among Generations X and Y compared to Generations Z and Alpha (p < 0.05). This difference was primarily attributable to family support, while no significant difference was found in friends’ support.
Conclusion: Although perceived social support did not directly predict nomophobia, meaningful intergenerational differences were identified in both constructs, indicating that younger generations (Z and Alpha), who experience lower levels of perceived family support and higher dependence on smartphones, are more vulnerable to nomophobia.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Zohreh Ebrahimi Atani (Author); Zahra Ojagh (Translator); Ebtesam Razavi Dinani (Author)
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