Latent Profile Analysis of Smart Device Usage Pattern in Children: Smart Device Addiction According to Its Usage Pattern

아동의 스마트 기기 사용패턴에 따른 잠재집단 프로파일 분석: 사용패턴 잠재집단 유형에 따른 스마트 기기 중독

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study aimed to investigate profiles of smart device usage patterns using a latent profile analysis in children and to analyze the relationship between the usage patterns and the risk of smart device addiction.MethodsThe participants were 1,232 third grade, elementary school children from the 10th wave of the PSKC. For data analysis, this study used a latent profile analysis and a binary logistic regression to examine whether the identified usage patterns predicted the risk of smart device addiction.ResultsLatent profile analysis demonstrated six distinct profiles of smart device usage patterns: excessive use & social/entertaining oriented (2.6%), entertaining oriented (14.7%), multiple purpose use (4.9%), social and entertaining oriented (15.5%), learning oriented (20.8%), and minimal use (41.6%). In addition, odds of membership to the high-risk group of smart device addiction over membership to the low-risk group were higher among children in the 'excessive use & social/entertaining oriented', 'entertaining oriented', and 'social and entertaining oriented' groups than those who were in the 'minimal use' group.ConclusionThe results suggested that it is necessary to consider both the amount of time and the purposes of smart device usage in order to better understand the patterns of smart device usage as well as the relationships between smart device usage patterns and the risk of smart device addiction.