Does mindfulness reduce the effects of risk factors for problematic smartphone use? Comparing frequency of use versus self-reported addiction.

Background: There is growing concern regarding problematic smartphone overuse. Practiced mindfulness, the state of being aware of the present moment, may protect against problematic smartphone use by reducing the strength of risk factors.

Purpose: We hypothesized that trait mindfulness can reduce the impact of risk factors on a) objective smartphone use and b) subjective problematic smartphone use.