Yoonhyuk Jung

1. Introduction Advancements in information and communication technology (ICT) have enhanced service models by transforming interactions between service firms and customers. COVID-19 has accelerated digital transformation, changing service models in various industries. Specifically, changes in the labor environment, such as increased labor costs [1] and 52-h workweek rules, are prompting the replacement of human labor with self-service technologies (SSTs).

Recently, mass media and researchers have begun to be concerned about excessive dependence on smartphones. Their interest, however, has largely focused on description of the phenomenon (i.e. severity of the addiction, current status of the addiction) or the development of measurement scales to assess the addiction. In this study, we ask a fundamental question about smartphone addiction: what users’ common sense of dependence on smartphones is.