Impacts of Smartphone Usage on the Digital Wellbeing of University Students: A Systematic Review

University students' extensive smartphone use in recent years has sparked increased worries about the impact of this technology on digital wellbeing, a multifaceted term that includes physical, social, academic, and emotional health in digital environments. This systematic review looks at the body of research on how smartphone use affects university students' digital wellbeing with the goal of identifying key trends, methodological limitations, and gaps in research. The analysis synthesizes results from empirical research on problematic smartphone use (PSU), which consistently shows links to psychological distress, poorer academic achievement, poorer sleep, and a decreased sense of social connectedness. Research revealed that emotional and psychological impacts, such as anxiety, stress, and depressive symptoms, are the most frequently studied dimensions. Academic consequences include lower GPA and diminished classroom engagement, particularly when smartphones are used for non-academic purposes. Although social and physical welfare receive less attention, they exhibit trends of loneliness, a drop in empathy, and health problems like sleep disorders and decreased physical activity. Additionally, the review identifies several methodological gaps, including a dependence on self-reported data and varying definitions of digital wellbeing. While previous research has focused and explored related issues in various populations, a systematic focus on university students remains limited. This review fills that gap by offering a holistic synthesis, outlining the complex relationship between smartphone behaviours and university students’ wellbeing. In order to promote better digital habits in academic settings, the findings inform future interventions, digital literacy initiatives, and policy-making. They also emphasise the importance of balanced smartphone use.