In-person contact begets calling and texting: interpersonal motives for cell phone use, face-to-face interaction, and loneliness

Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2010 Dec;13(6):611-8. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2009.0314. Epub 2010 Mar 31.

Abstract

This study examined how cell-phone use is related to interpersonal motives for using cell phones, face-to-face communication, and loneliness. A survey of 232 college students who owned a cell phone revealed that affection and inclusion were relatively strong motivations for using voice calls and text messaging, and that interpersonal motives were positively related to the amount of cell-phone use, including calling and texting. The amount of face-to-face interaction was positively associated with the participants' cell-phone use and their interpersonal motives for using cell phones: the more the participants engaged in face-to-face interaction with other people, the higher their motives were and the more frequent cell-phone use was. Loneliness did not have a direct relation to cell-phone use. Instead, the participants with higher levels of loneliness were less likely to engage in face-to-face social interaction, which led them to use cell phones less and to be less motivated to use cell phones for interpersonal purposes.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Cell Phone*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Interpersonal Relations*
  • Loneliness / psychology*
  • Male
  • Motivation*
  • Sex Factors
  • Students