The experiences of counselors caring for children and adolescents with problematic smartphone use

This study examines field experts’ experiences to ascertain the actual circumstances and strategies to increase the efficacy of intervention programs for children and adolescents with problematic smartphone use. Three focus group interviews were conducted via video conferencing. The data were grouped into three major themes: (1) the screening and inflow phase, which included the inaccuracy of the screening tests, barriers in the inflow process, and the importance of school cooperation; (2) the intervention phase, which included the necessity of developing a program tailored to the target audience, the importance of parental participation, and concerns about the vulnerable; and (3) the maintenance phase, which included the lack of a long-term strategy, the need to re-establish the purpose of the counseling/intervention programs, and the need for systematic maintenance of the system. To improve the reliability of the screening test for children and adolescents with problematic smartphone use, it is necessary to improve the measurement tools and environment. To increase parental involvement, education should be provided on perceiving the severity of problematic smartphone use, and program running hours should be varied. The findings offer information necessary for improving counseling and interventions for children and adolescents with problematic smartphone use.