Open Access

REVIEW

External risk factors for smartphone addiction in adolescents: A systematic literature review

Wanqing Lin^1,2,*, Mohd Azrin Mohd Nasir¹, Suzila Binti Ismail¹

1 School of Applied Psychology, Social Work & Policy, UUM College of Arts & Sciences, University Utara Malaysia, Sintok, 06010, Malaysia
2 School of Architectural Engineering, Zhangzhou Institute of Technology, Zhangzhou, 363000, China

* Corresponding Author: Wanqing Lin. Email:

Journal of Psychology in Africa 2026, 36(1), 143-152. https://doi.org/10.32604/jpa.2026.073231

Received 13 September 2025; Accepted 30 September 2025; Issue published 26 February 2026

Abstract

This systematic review synthesizes empirical research on external risk factors for adolescent smartphone addiction. Scopus and Web of Science were searched for English peer-reviewed empirical articles from 2008 onward; 28 met inclusion criteria (excluding non-adolescents, generic internet addiction, non-empirical work, or non-English). Thematic synthesis organized findings into three external risk domains—family, school, and peers—considering cultural/contextual mechanisms. Family dynamics (parental phubbing, harsh parenting, dysfunction), school stressors, and adverse peer relationships were identified as accumulating, direct and indirect contributors to smartphone addiction. These operate within a techno-ecological framework, where digital technologies amplify vulnerabilities and create new pathways for maladaptive use. Evidence favors an ecological, multi-level perspective. Future research should use longitudinal designs, standardize measures across cultures, and examine understudied regions—especially Africa—to guide culturally sensitive interventions.

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Keywords

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