ABSTRACT
Objective: Smartphones have become a ubiquitous part of college life for students, especially in India. Being on their devices 24/7 can have an impact on the mental health of the students. ‘Black Mirror’ refers to the black-coloured reflecting screen on mobile devices that portrays one's self-image and in extension, our self-esteem. This review particularly focuses on smartphone addiction on college students' self-esteem. This narrative review explores the complex relationship between smartphone usage and self-esteem among Indian college students. Drawing on existing empirical studies, this paper investigates the association between smartphone addiction and one's self-esteem. Methods: Narrative review of empirical studies from 2016 to 2025. The research articles are systematically examined from various scholarly databases like Google Scholar, PubMed and DOAJ. The key findings from the research are further analysed and reviewed. Main Findings: Most studies show a significant negative correlation between smartphone addiction or nomophobia and self-esteem among Indian college students. Higher addiction levels generally relate to lower self-esteem, especially with social media use. A few studies found no significant link, while academic use was associated with either neutral or positive effects on self-esteem. Implications: The findings can have an impact on psychological research, clinical practice, and policy-making by incorporating various stakeholders like college counsellors, parents, and educators into a multi-dimensional intervention at the college/university level for the digital hygiene of the students.
