Smartphones are a central part of our lives, offering substantial benefits for communication, productivity, and daily tasks. At the same time, constant accessibility to the device has contributed to problematic smartphone use, a compulsive pattern of smartphone use that that may lead to negative outcomes and disrupt the daily functioning of the user. Although often labelled “smartphone addiction,” the phenomenon lacks formal diagnostic criteria in DSM‑5 or ICD‑11, and its classification as a behavioural addiction remains debated. However, research links problematic smartphone use to a broad range of psychological and behavioural correlates (e.g., depression, anxiety, sleep problems, ADHD, loneliness, alcohol consumption).

More than 70 scales have been developed to assess problematic smartphone use. But most of the existing measures are relatively lengthy multi-item questionnaires, limiting their applicability – for example, in large-scale surveys. Although traditionally viewed as inferior, single-item measures have gained popularity in psychological research as they are time efficient, reduce participant burden and data processing costs, while still exhibiting sound psychometric qualities.

The present study introduces and evaluates a new binary single-item measure – the Smartphone Impairment Screening Item (SISI). Its convergent validity and diagnostic accuracy were examined in comparison to one of the most widely used instruments in this field—the Smartphone Addiction Scale – Short Version (SAS-SV).