Reducing Social Media and Smartphone Use among Czech Female University Students During the Covid-19 Pandemic: An Experimental Study of the Chamber REST Intervention
Reducing Social Media and Smartphone Use among Czech Female University Students During the Covid-19 Pandemic: An Experimental Study of the Chamber REST Intervention

Summary/Abstract: Objective: This study aims to explore the potential positive impact of combined chamber REST interventions on reducing smartphone and social media overuse and the associated mental health outcomes among female university students in the Czech Republic. Method: In early 2021, 988 female university students aged between 19 and 56 years old completed a battery of questionnaires. For the quasi-experimental part, a subsample of 98 participants aged between 19 and 53 was selected. The data collection involved a software application to objectively measure the time spent on smartphones and social media and the administration of five self-report scales: the Problematic Use of Mobile Phones, Fear of Missing Out, Smartphone Addiction Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory X2 and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. The experimental phase lasted six weeks, including a three-week intervention program. The participants were assigned to three groups. There were two experimental groups: a laboratory group (n = 22) and a home group (n = 30) as well as a control group (n = 28). The laboratory group underwent a combination of standardised interventions in the chamber REST laboratory. The home group received the same combination of interventions in their home environment. The data were collected at three points: pre-test (before the intervention), post-test (after the intervention) and follow-up (two weeks after the intervention).Results: A repeated-measures ANOVA showed a significant reduction (large effect) in smartphone usage time among the participants. Similarly, there was a significant reduction in social media usage observed in the laboratory group (large effect) and in the home group (medium effect). An analysis of the questionnaire data revealed that both the laboratory group and home group demonstrated a significant reduction (large effect) in the problematic use of mobile phones. The participants in both experimental groups also exhibited a significant reduction in the fear of missing out and trait anxiety. Additionally, an increase in life satisfaction values was observed in the home group. However, neither group showed a significant reduction in smartphone addiction. Summary: The study suggests that the used combined interventions can significantly reduce the time spent on smartphones and social media. This can have a positive effect on aspects of mental health such as problematic use of smartphones, fear of missing out, trait anxiety and to some extent, satisfaction with life. The study also suggests that the intervention effectiveness had a greater impact in the chamber environment. Future studies could build on these findings by exploring the effects on a larger sample size, including participants of different genders and age groups. It could also examine the longer-term effects of these interventions. These findings suggest that the chamber REST intervention may be a promising method for reducing smartphone and social media overuse (as addictive behaviour).

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