Use of the Smartphone and Self-Concept in University Students According to the Gender Variable

The university stage comprises a very important and vital period in the modification of students’ lifestyles, and these changes can affect their self-concept. The excessive use of technology today can also influence the formation of their identity. The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between self-concept and the use of the smartphone by university students in terms of gender. The sample included 253 students (mean age 21.39 ± 3.27) of the Primary Education Degree of the University of Jaén (106 men and 147 women). A questionnaire was used to unify several instruments: a sociodemographic questionnaire, a Self-Concept Form-5 questionnaire (AF-5), and a questionnaire on cell phone-related experiences (CERM). The results show the existence of significant differences between both genders in the academic, emotional, and social dimensions of self-concept, with women showing a greater academic self-concept and men showing an emotional and physical one. Regarding the use of the smartphone in relation to self-concept, significant differences are found in the academic and emotional dimensions depending on the degree of use. In addition, in relation to the use of the smartphone, it has been detected that half of the students present potential problems. It is concluded that there is a relationship between both constructs, especially the academic and emotional self-concept.