SEOUL: Childhood abuse may leave teenagers more vulnerable to smartphone addiction by eroding self-esteem and deepening depression, according to a Korean study that suggests excessive phone use can reflect trauma rather than a lack of self-control.
Adolescents who reported higher levels of physical, verbal or emotional abuse by parents or caregivers also tended to show stronger signs of smartphone addiction, the study found.
Lower self-esteem and more severe depressive symptoms were each associated with greater smartphone dependence. Experiences of abuse were also linked to lower self-worth and higher levels of depression.
“Childhood abuse has a direct effect on smartphone addiction,” the researchers wrote. They also identified a sequential pathway in which abuse lowers self-esteem, increases depression and ultimately raises the risk of smartphone addiction.
The study, published in the Journal of the Korean Academy of Mental Health Social Work, was conducted by Jeon Cho-won, a doctoral candidate in social welfare at Ewha Womans University, and other researchers.
It analysed 2022 data from a panel study on Korean children covering 1,269 second-year middle school students who owned smartphones. The group included 647 boys and 622 girls.
The researchers examined the relationship among childhood abuse, self-esteem, depression and smartphone addiction. Abuse was defined as physical, verbal or emotional mistreatment by a parent or guardian.
The findings suggest that efforts to curb excessive smartphone use should go beyond screen-time limits and household rules.
Schools, counselling centres and welfare agencies should establish integrated risk assessments that examine abuse, family conflict and emotional difficulties among adolescents showing signs of smartphone dependence, the researchers said.
“Interventions for smartphone addiction among adolescents who have experienced abuse need to incorporate a trauma-informed care approach,” the report said.
The researchers also called for stronger referral systems connecting at-risk students with counselling and mental health centres, child protection agencies and medical institutions.
Korea should more closely link its response to child abuse with programmes aimed at preventing digital addiction among adolescents, they added.
SEOUL: Childhood abuse may leave teenagers more vulnerable to smartphone addiction by eroding self-esteem and deepening depression, according to a Korean study that suggests excessive phone use can reflect trauma rather than a lack of self-control.
Adolescents who reported higher levels of physical, verbal or emotional abuse by parents or caregivers also tended to show stronger signs of smartphone addiction, the study found.
Lower self-esteem and more severe depressive symptoms were each associated with greater smartphone dependence. Experiences of abuse were also linked to lower self-worth and higher levels of depression.
“Childhood abuse has a direct effect on smartphone addiction,” the researchers wrote. They also identified a sequential pathway in which abuse lowers self-esteem, increases depression and ultimately raises the risk of smartphone addiction.
The study, published in the Journal of the Korean Academy of Mental Health Social Work, was conducted by Jeon Cho-won, a doctoral candidate in social welfare at Ewha Womans University, and other researchers.
It analysed 2022 data from a panel study on Korean children covering 1,269 second-year middle school students who owned smartphones. The group included 647 boys and 622 girls.
The researchers examined the relationship among childhood abuse, self-esteem, depression and smartphone addiction. Abuse was defined as physical, verbal or emotional mistreatment by a parent or guardian.
The findings suggest that efforts to curb excessive smartphone use should go beyond screen-time limits and household rules.
Schools, counselling centres and welfare agencies should establish integrated risk assessments that examine abuse, family conflict and emotional difficulties among adolescents showing signs of smartphone dependence, the researchers said.
“Interventions for smartphone addiction among adolescents who have experienced abuse need to incorporate a trauma-informed care approach,” the report said.
The researchers also called for stronger referral systems connecting at-risk students with counselling and mental health centres, child protection agencies and medical institutions.
Korea should more closely link its response to child abuse with programmes aimed at preventing digital addiction among adolescents, they added. - Korea Herald/ANN
