Mobile communication for human needs: A comparison of smartphone use between the US and Korea

•The hierarchy of basic needs is applied to a smartphone use context.•Deficiency and growth needs of smartphone use are examined.•Cultural differences and similarities are compared in the construction of basic needs in the US and South Korea.•Self-actualization needs lead to continuous use of the smartphone, which relates to life satisfaction. This study deals with two studies that develop and compare a measure and model of hierarchical needs of smartphone use from US and Korean users. The first study examines the dimensionality of measure by conducting an exploratory factor analysis on 398 US and 331 Korean college students. Results identified five constructs of the smartphone basic needs (SBN) scale from the two samples: physiological, safety, belongingness, self-esteem, and self-actualization. The second study examines the relationships between the SBN and use behavior, which leads to life satisfaction. The relationship of the constructs was theoretically synthesized and tested. Results indicate that both samples believe that the smartphone fulfills the needs of safety and self-actualization that predict smartphone use and life satisfaction. Theoretical and cross-cultural implications are discussed.