Crafting Needs for Balanced Screens: A Moderated Mediation Analysis of Need Crafting, Need Satisfaction, Self-Control, and Problematic Smartphone Use in Young Adults
Summary
Empirical evidence shows a global rise in problematic smartphone use (PSU) among young
adults, making it a significant public health concern. While the potential adverse effects of
PSU are well documented, less is known about the underlying reasons why smartphone use
becomes problematic and what can be done to prevent or reduce it. Based on the SelfDetermination Theory, the current study provides a first exploration of need crafting, the
proactive shaping of one's activities to better satisfy basic psychological needs, as a potential
strategy to reduce the risk of PSU. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 110
young adults aged 18-29 (M age = 24.29, SD = 2.39) that measured need crafting, need
satisfaction, self-control, and PSU. The main hypothesis was that the negative relationship
between need crafting and PSU would be mediated by need satisfaction, and that this indirect
path would be moderated by self-control. A moderated mediation analysis was used to test this
hypothesis. The results did not support the hypothesized model. However, the analysis did
find a strong positive relationship between need crafting and need satisfaction and identified
self-control as a significant direct negative predictor of PSU. An exploratory serial mediation
analysis was done and revealed a significant indirect pathway where need crafting was linked
to lower PSU through a sequence of higher need satisfaction and higher self-control. Even
though the primary model was not supported, this study is the first to connect need crafting
with PSU. Findings showed a potential promising new mechanism for future research,
suggesting that need crafting may not only contributes to well-being but could also indirectly
strengthen the capacity for self-control.