Qualitative interviews reveal adolescents’ perceived mobile phone benefits and harms

A qualitative study of 40 adolescents aged 13 to 18 found that mobile phones were viewed as useful companions for communication, education and social interaction, but intensive or prolonged use was associated by participants with eye strain, disturbed sleep, posture-related problems, stress, anxiety, social comparison, distraction and reduced physical activity. The research, conducted with adolescents recruited from two urban schools, also identified coping and self-regulation strategies that young people used to manage their phone use. Its findings describe the experiences and perceptions of the interviewed group rather than establishing that phones caused these effects or estimating how widespread the reported problems are among adolescents generally.

Researchers used purposive sampling to recruit participants from two urban schools. They collected data through semi-structured, in-depth interviews about adolescents’ patterns and purposes of mobile phone use and their perceived relationships between phone use and physical, emotional, social, academic and everyday life. Each interview lasted approximately 30 to 40 minutes and was audio-recorded with consent.

The recordings were transcribed and analyzed through thematic analysis following the framework proposed by Braun and Clarke. This qualitative design was intended to explore how adolescents understood and experienced mobile phone use in the context of their daily routines. The thematic analysis identified five broad themes.

The first described mobile phones as multifunctional companions within adolescents’ everyday lives. The second covered perceived physical effects, including eye strain, sleep disturbances and posture-related problems. The third concerned psychosocial and emotional experiences such as stress, anxiety and social comparison.

The fourth captured academic and lifestyle changes associated with prolonged screen time, while the fifth concerned coping and self-regulation strategies adopted by adolescents to manage their mobile phone use. Across these themes, participants recognized the educational and social benefits of phones alongside concerns about distraction, diminished physical activity and disrupted sleep. They described prolonged use as affecting sleep patterns, emotional well-being and academic focus, but these were perceptions reported in interviews rather than experimentally demonstrated causal effects.

The study’s population and scope limit wider interpretation. All 40 participants were adolescents recruited from two urban schools, and purposive selection did not produce a representative sample of all young people. The results therefore offer a detailed account of how this group perceived and negotiated mobile phone use rather than population-level evidence about the prevalence or magnitude of particular behaviors or health outcomes.

The researchers emphasized the dual nature of mobile phone use: the same devices that supported communication, learning and social connection were also experienced as potential sources of interruption, emotional pressure and lost rest. They did not test any such intervention or demonstrate that guidance would change adolescents’ behavior or health outcomes.

Subject of Research: Adolescents’ perceptions of mobile phone use and its effects on daily life

Article Title: Adolescents perceptions and experiences of mobile phone use in everyday life a qualitative inquiry

Article References: Priya, V., T, S., & Shaji J C, H. (2026). Adolescents perceptions and experiences of mobile phone use in everyday life a qualitative inquiry. BMC Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-05446-w

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s40359-026-05446-w

Keywords: adolescents, mobile phones, qualitative interviews, screen time, sleep disturbance, eye strain, social comparison, academic focus, digital wellbeing, thematic analysis, perceptions, experiences