The Relationship Between Boredom and Smartphone Addiction Before and After the Outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Prior research has explored the relationship between boredom and smartphone addiction (SPA), but significant discrepancies remain. Moreover, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic may have altered this association. Thus, this meta-analysis aims to clarify the true relationship between boredom and SPA, while also analyzing potential moderating factors. Articles published through April 2024 were retrieved from Chinese databases (CNKI, Wanfang, VIP) and English databases (Web of Science Core Collection, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Springer Online Journals). After screening, coding, and analysis using CMA 3.0 software, 54 studies involving 36,245 participants were included. The results revealed a significant positive correlation between boredom and SPA (r = 0.412, 95% CI [0.385, 0.438]). Furthermore, this relationship was moderated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the methods used to measure boredom, but not by gender or the tools used to measure SPA. These findings provide strong evidence of a positive correlation between boredom and SPA, with the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating this relationship.