Seoul, May 30 (IANS): Women are using smartphones for four hours a day or longer and are more prone to succumb to smartphone addiction than men, the first-ever academic study on this topic has revealed.

The study, conducted in South Korea, noted that 52 percent of the women in the survey used their smartphones for four hours a day or longer -- far higher than the comparable ratio of 29.4 percent among men, Korea Times reported on Monday.

The ratios of respondents who use smartphones for six hours a day were also 22.9 percent for women and 10.8 percent for men.

According to Professor Chang Jae-yeon of Ajou University in South Korea, his study was based on a survey of 1,236 students at six colleges in Suwon, Gyeonggi province.

"We expect adolescents are likely to show similar results. Female users are advised to consciously put their phones out of their reach from time to time," Chang said in a paper published in the journal Public Health Reports.

Women pick up smarphones mainly for social networking website including Facebook and Instagram, using these services far more than just making calls, games and searches combined.

While men use smartphones mainly during breaks, women look at their phone screens while talking with others and also on the move, the report added.

One in five women (20.1 percent) said they have insecure feelings beyond normal when they cannot use their smartphones while only 8.9 percent of the men felt so.

For many women, the addiction to their smartphones has gone beyond simple hobbies to have reached a stage adversely affecting their mental health.

"Women's desires for networking and communication are far stronger than men's, which drive them to become more dependent on social network service (SNS) via their smartphones," the study noted.