Exploring the Influence of Negative Emotional Feedback on Excessive Mobile Phone Use Among Gen-Zs

Abstract

Conversational agents (CAs) are systems that mimic human conversation through text or spoken language. Despite their potential, especially in healthcare, most CAs lack negative emotional expressions or feedback, favoring overly agreeable and polite behavior. However, expressing negative emotions in human interactions has been linked to positive relationship outcomes and personal growth. Given this gap, there is a need to study the impact of negative emotional feedback provided by CAs. To address this, we designed an intervention using a conversational agent named Nola, operating via the Telegram messenger app, to reduce excessive screen time through negative emotional feedback. Thirty three university students with mobile phone overuse participated in a seven-week study, with three weeks of intervention. Participants set daily screen time goals and reported their usage to Nola, receiving audio feedback with varying emotional tones—angry, disappointed, or neutral—based on their group assignment. The study aimed to investigate the impact of negative emotional feedback on mobile phone overuse, addressing two research questions: (1) What are the appropriate expressions for conveying disappointment and anger? (2) How does negative emotional feedback from a conversational agent affect participants' screen time? Findings show that all three types of negative feedback are effective in reducing screen time, with no significant differences in effectiveness between them.