Compulsive Smartphone Use: The Roles of Flow, Reinforcement Motives, and Convenience

Along with its rapid growth of penetration, smartphone has become highly prevalent in recent years. Meanwhile, compulsive smartphone use emerges as a rising concern. Given that research on compulsive smartphone use is scarce in the information systems literature, this paper aims to reveal its significant determinants to enrich the theoretical development in this area. In particular, we incorporate flow, reinforcement motives (i.e., instant gratification and mood regulation), and convenience in the research model to examine their influences on compulsive smartphone use. We conduct an empirical online survey with 384 valid responses to assess the model. The findings show that flow and reinforcement motives have direct and significant effects on compulsive use. Convenience affects compulsive use indirectly through flow, while flow further mediates the effects of reinforcement motives on compulsive use. Implications for both research and practice are offered.