Smartphone, social media use's effect on OCD, happiness and loneliness
UC Blue Ash expert featured in Allentown, Pennsylvania's WFMZ-TV report
The U.S. ranks 23rd in the latest World Happiness Report, dropping several spots.
Experts say there is widespread concern about an emerging epidemic of loneliness. The National Library of Medicine says social media could be fueling these lonely feelings.
“When people are more prone to being bored, they’re going to be more likely to use their smartphone to address their uncertainty,” said Alex J. Holte, PhD, assistant professor of psychology at University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College.
Holte and undergraduate student researchers published findings that smartphone usage can increase and even become unhealthy for those who have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a psychiatric disorder with symptoms related to unwanted and distressing thoughts that can lead to repetitive and disruptive behaviors.
Watch or read the WFMZ-TV report.
Featured image at top: A person uses an iPhone. Photo/Onur Binay via Unsplash
Related Stories
The Hollywood Reporter spotlights CCM Acting's "microdramas"
January 13, 2026
UC College-Conservatory of Music BFA Acting students and Professor D'Arcy Smith are featured in The Hollywood Reporter's coverage on "microdramas," short vertical video content meant to be viewed on cell phone screens.
The rise and fall of the shopping mall
January 13, 2026
The Financial Times recently took a deep dive into why the majority of shopping malls in the U.S. are struggling to make ends meet in the era of ecommerce. The publication turned to Carl Goertemoeller, executive director of the University of Cincinnati Real Estate Center, as an expert on the commercial real estate landscape over the years.
The global beauty impact on the EU's microplastics regulation
January 13, 2026
The University of Cincinnati's Kelly Dobos was featured in a BeautyMatter article discussing how European Union regulations on microplastics in cosmetic products are affecting the industry worldwide.