The Influence of Institutional Nature and Parental Occupation on Nomophobia Levels among High School Students in Madurai District

Nomophobia, characterized as the fear of being without mobile phone access, has emerged as a significant psychological concern among adolescents in the digital age. This study investigated how institutional nature and parental occupation influence nomophobia levels among high school students in Madurai District. A sample of 410 students from aided schools (117 from Boys schools, 177 from Girls schools, and 116 from Co-educational schools) was assessed using the standardized Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA with Tukey HSD post-hoc tests, Pearson correlation coefficients, and chi-square tests. Results revealed that 79.8% of students experienced clinically significant nomophobia (moderate to severe levels), with a mean score of 113.68 (SD = 18.95). Co-educational school students demonstrated significantly higher nomophobia scores (M = 117.66, SD = 19.67) compared to both Boys schools (M = 112.02, SD = 17.45) and Girls schools (M = 110.77, SD = 18.57), F(2, 407) = 5.08, p = .007, η² = .024. Significant differences also emerged across parental occupation categories, F(2, 407) = 5.32, p = .005, η² = .025, with students of private sector employees exhibiting higher nomophobia (M = 115.69, SD = 18.32) compared to government employees' children (M = 110.42, SD = 20.54) and self-employed parents' offspring (M = 111.92, SD = 18.80). Weak but significant positive correlations were found between institutional nature and nomophobia (r = .152, p = .002) and between parental occupation and nomophobia (r = .159, p = .001). Institutional nature and parental occupation were independent of each other (r = .042, p = .401; χ²(4) = 0.79, p = .940), indicating these contextual factors operate as separate influences on smartphone dependency. While statistically significant, both factors explained modest variance (combined < 5%), suggesting nomophobia is multiply determined by complex individual and environmental factors. These findings underscore the need for multi-level, contextsensitive interventions addressing smartphone dependency among adolescents, particularly targeting co-educational institutions and families with private sector employment demands.