The relationship between academic burnout and problematic smartphone use: a three-level meta-analysis

Introduction In recent years, the relationship between academic burnout and problematic smartphone use (PSU) has received increasing attention from researchers. However, existing findings remain inconsistent, with some studies reporting a significant positive association while others finding non-significant results. This study aims to systematically examine the association between academic burnout and PSU and to explore potential moderating factors. Methods Following PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive literature search was conducted across Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang databases. A total of 79 studies were included, comprising 115 effect sizes and 68,162 participants. A three-level meta-analytic approach was employed to estimate the overall effect size and to examine potential moderators, including demographic characteristics, study contextual features, publication status, and measurement instruments. Results The results indicated a moderate positive correlation between academic burnout and PSU (r = 0.438, 95% CI [0.409, 0.467]). Moderator analyses revealed that the relationship was significantly influenced by the year of data collection and the type of PSU measurement instruments used. Discussion This study provides a comprehensive and systematic understanding of the association between academic burnout and PSU. The findings offer robust empirical evidence to inform the development of targeted prevention and intervention strategies for PSU. Systematic review registration https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/TRMP3