Objective: Existing research reporting an association between smartphone usage and sleep quality has often utilised subjective self-reported smartphone usage and sleep data.This paper aims to study the associations of objectively collected smartphone near-bedtime usage and problematic internet usage (PIU) with parameters of sleep quality.Methods: The dataset had 269 (55% Female, 55.13% Adults) participants.From the acquired usage data, the daily averages of sleep duration, sleep distraction, and smartphone usage two hours before sleep were extracted.Results: The multivariate linear regression showed that the increase in PIU (β = -0.231,p < 0.001) and smartphone usage two hours before sleep (β = -0.246,p < 0.001) led to decrease in sleep duration.Regarding sleep distraction, multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that two hours before sleep was a significant and positive predictor of sleep distraction (β = 0.197, p = 0.003), whereas PIU was not significant.Conclusion: Longer duration of smartphone usage before sleep and higher PIU were associated with reduced sleep duration and continuity.PIU predicted the possibility of getting distracted while usage before sleep predicted the distraction duration.Our results confirm and elaborate on concerns about technology overuse near bedtime and call for specialised interventions to help healthier technology design and usage styles.

This study explores the complex relationship between parental behaviours and adolescent problematic internet use (PIU), contributing to a growing understanding of how family dynamics influence digital habits in children. Using a sample of 236 Arab parents, we investigated the impact of parental PIU, the frequency of parental monitoring, and serious arguments about internet use on adolescent PIU. The findings demonstrated significant associations between parental and adolescent PIU levels, highlighting shared patterns in specific symptoms. Regression analysis identified parental PIU and frequent serious arguments as significant predictors of adolescent PIU, indicating the heightened risk among adolescents with PIU-affected parents. Additionally, the study uncovered a partial mediation effect, with the frequency of serious arguments serving as a pathway linking parental and adolescent PIU. By examining these relationships within a culturally distinct context, the research broadens the scope of PIU studies beyond western populations, offering new insights into underexplored Arab families. The results indicate the importance of family-centered intervention strategies, including positive parental role modelling and promoting constructive discussions about internet use. These findings have practical implications for developing culturally sensitive programmes aimed at mitigating adolescent PIU through improved family dynamics and healthy digital practices.

The proliferation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, exemplified by Large Language Models (LLM), has ushered in a transformative era across various fields. As the AI revolution will impact societies in complex and uncertain ways, it is likely that persons tending towards belief of conspiracy theories also tend to form more negative and less positive attitudes towards AI. Such persons might believe that some evil force will use AI to destroy human mankind. Drawing on the Interplay of Modality, Person, Area, Country/Culture, and Transparency categories (IMPACT) framework, this study aims to investigate the interplay of locus of control (LOC), belief in conspiracy theories, and the perception of the importance and availability of eXplainable AI (XAI) on attitudes towards AI (measured via AI acceptance and fear). The study used an online survey with 281 participants from the UK and 281 from the Arab world. Statistical analysis revealed that in the UK but not in the Arab sample, female participants reported higher fear of AI and lower acceptance of AI compared to males. The regression results consistently confirmed the role of internal LOC, perceived XAI importance, and perceived availability of XAI in fostering AI acceptance, as well as the role of belief in conspiracy theories, external LOC, and perceiving availability of XAI as being low in increasing fear of AI. The perceived availability of XAI emerges as a crucial influencing factor; addressing it appropriately could enhance societal awareness and acceptance of AI while reducing fear. Personal factors and XAI influence attitudes towards AI in both Arab and UK cultures, enhancing result robustness and revealing nuanced differences.

This article explores the multifaceted relationship between social media use and individual wellbeing (SM-WB). It focuses on personality traits, locus of control, social media competency, and cultural backgrounds. An online survey was conducted with 281 Arabs (141 females) and 281 British (155 females). Analyses revealed significant differences: Arabs exhibited higher belief in social media's positive impact on wellbeing, consistent across various wellbeing dimensions measured through a customized PERMA scale. Regression analysis identified significant predictors of SM-WB—social media competency, conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, and internal locus of control—for both samples, while females reported higher SM-WB than males. Age was a significant predictor exclusively in the British sample, whereas extraversion predicted SM-WB only in the Arab sample. Qualitative findings regarding future social media design to enhance wellbeing revealed several similarities between samples; however, some themes differed in their specifics, underscoring culture’s nuanced impact on social media developmental requirements for improving wellbeing.

Abstract Personal factors have been examined in recent literature for their impact on attitudes toward AI, often treating AI as a single, uniform concept and using samples from one cultural group. To address this, we differentiate between two modalities of AI operation: freedom of choice, referring to users’ ability or inability to choose alternatives to AI, and social proof, reflecting whether AI has been widely used and accepted by others. We also include samples from two distinct populations, Arab and UK. This study investigates the influence of the Big Five personality traits, Need for Cognition (NFC), and Locus of Control (LOC) on attitudes toward AI across four combinations of these modalities. A total of 639 participants (316 UK, 323 Arab) completed a survey containing scenarios, validated scales and bespoke, face-validated questions. Using hierarchical multivariate multiple regression (MMR), we analyzed how these personal factors predict two key dimensions of AI attitudes: acceptance (perceived personal and social benefits) and fear (ethical concerns and risks). Agreeableness consistently predicted more favorable attitudes across both cultures, while neuroticism was linked to greater fear. Internal LOC and higher NFC were associated with greater acceptance, highlighting the role of perceived control and cognitive engagement. Cultural differences emerged, with conscientiousness being more influential in the Arab sample and openness in the UK. Overall, personality traits had a weaker impact than expected, aligning with previous research treating AI as a single concept. The modality of operation showed limited effect. This study adds to AI acceptance literature by emphasizing psychological and cultural variability in public attitudes.