Smartphone Addiction as Mediator Effect Loneliness to Empathy among Generation Z

This study aims to observe relationships between loneliness, smartphone addiction, and empathy in Generation Z. Hypotheses in this study assume that there is a relationship between smartphone addiction and empathy, that there is a relationship between loneliness and smartphone addiction, and that there is a relationship between loneliness and empathy. This study used the Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale designed by Kim, Lee, Lee, Nam, and Chung, the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire developed by Spreng, McKinnon, Mar, and Levine, and the University of California Angeles-Loneliness Scale Version 3 arranged by Russell. A total number of 253 male and female respondents with age ranges of 18–23 years old participated in this study. Its results found that there was a significant negative relationship between smartphone addiction and empathy, that there was a significant positive relationship between loneliness and smartphone addiction. The results also show that the relationship between loneliness and empathy is fully mediated by smartphone addiction.