Before You Begin
This version separates scored frequency items from context and protective factors so the result can show a clearer answer pattern.
Scored items use one frequency scale. Context answers personalize the summary, while protective factors are reported separately. This original tool is not clinically validated and cannot provide a diagnosis.
How To Read This Result
This versioned original self-check uses 12 scored frequency items for the past 30 days. It reviews Automatic Checking, Stopping Control, Cue Reactivity, Activity Displacement. Optional context answers personalize guidance but do not change the score.
Dimension labels summarize how often their assigned experiences were selected. Protective factors are shown separately and are not reverse-scored into a risk total. Result profiles are descriptive editorial patterns, not clinical cutoffs, probabilities, or population percentiles.
What Version 2.0 Measures
The 12 scored items cover Automatic Checking, Stopping Control, Cue Reactivity, Activity Displacement. Each dimension is supported by three questions using the same 30-day frequency scale.
Context and protective-factor questions are displayed separately and do not change the core score.
How Scoring Works
Scored answers use values from 0 to 4 and produce an editorial total from 0 to 48. Dimension labels summarize selected frequency, not medical severity, character, or population standing.
Important Context And Limits
Work demands, caregiving, navigation, accessibility, social connection, and other necessary uses can increase screen time without implying loss of control. The most useful context is what the phone use is doing and what it displaces.
This self-check is not a diagnosis. It separates automatic checking, stopping control, cue reactivity, and displacement so the next adjustment can be more specific.
How To Use The Result
Use the most frequent dimension to change one cue, stopping condition, or phone-free boundary. If checking is highest, add one intentional unlock purpose. If displacement is highest, protect the displaced activity first, such as sleep, work, or in-person time.
Seek support when use repeatedly causes serious harm or remains difficult to control despite sustained attempts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does frequent phone use mean addiction?
No. Frequency alone does not establish addiction. Control, distress, displacement, and practical consequences provide more context.
Is this a validated smartphone addiction scale?
No. It is an original ToolsQuark educational self-check.
Does this test measure social media specifically?
No. It covers device-level behavior across phone activities. The separate social media self-check focuses on feeds, evaluation, and comparison.
What is automatic phone checking?
Automatic checking means unlocking, opening, or returning to the phone before there is a clear purpose. It is more about habit loops and cues than total screen time alone.
Why is stopping control important?
Stopping control shows whether a phone session ends when intended. A short check that repeatedly becomes an extended session may matter more than the number of unlocks.
Can phone use affect sleep?
Yes. Phone use can delay bedtime, keep attention activated, or replace wind-down routines. If sleep is affected, compare this result with the Sleep Pattern Self-Check.
What is a practical first step?
Start with one cue or boundary: silence nonessential notifications, move the phone out of sight for one priority block, or protect a phone-free period before sleep.