APA Study of 600 Teens Links Parents' Smartphone Use to Lower Self-Esteem
Updated
Updated · 매일경제 · Jul 9
APA Study of 600 Teens Links Parents' Smartphone Use to Lower Self-Esteem
3 articles · Updated · 매일경제 · Jul 9
Summary
A survey of 600 U.S. teenagers ages 12 to 17 found that heavier parental smartphone use was tied to children feeling ignored or alienated, weakening parent-child bonds.
The APA-led study, published in Frontiers in Psychology, said that perceived parental distraction can deepen insecure attachment, which is linked to lower self-esteem, poorer relationships and avoiding new challenges.
Teens described a form of “technoference” in which parents were physically present but emotionally absent—an experience researcher Don Grant said can leave effects that persist for life.
The findings shift attention from adolescents' own screen habits to parents' device use, an area less studied even though a 2020 Pew survey found 68% of parents said smartphones sometimes disrupt family time.