Nonlinear Smartphone Use, Temporal Routines, and Nomophobia in a Digitalized University: A Secondary Analysis of Undergraduate Students

Abstract Nomophobia, the fear associated with being without one’s smartphone, has emerged as a prevalent concern in increasingly digitalized university environments. This secondary analysis examined nomophobia and its correlates among 841 undergraduates at a public university using the 20-item Nomophobia Questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the four-factor structure (information access, convenience, communication, connectedness) and high internal consistency. Multiple regression models showed that total nomophobia was higher among students in the higher gender category and older students, and was strongly associated with daily smartphone use in a nonlinear fashion, increases at higher use levels were linked with disproportionately elevated nomophobia scores. Faculty affiliation did not significantly predict nomophobia once demographics and usage patterns were controlled. Quartile profiles indicated that temporal routines, particularly early-morning checking, differentiated high-nomophobia students more clearly than total daily hours. Findings highlight nomophobia as a socio-technical outcome of campus-wide connectivity norms and underscore the need for university-level digital-well-being policies.