Parents’ attachment to screens and smartphones can have negative, long-lasting developmental and psychological effects on their children, according to new research.
Caregivers who mismanage their devices can both exacerbate "insecure attachment” and make healthy relationships more anxious and avoidant for children, according to the findings, which were published in June in Frontiers in Psychology, a peer-reviewed journal. The study, which surveyed 600 minors in the US from 12 to 17 years old, found that kids reported feeling marginalised or neglected by parents glued to their screens.
A child with insecure attachment may lack confidence or display a lower sense of self; demonstrate difficulty with interpersonal relationships and intimacy; and possess an unwillingness to take risks necessary to achieve success, according to one of the study’s researchers, Don Grant, a media psychologist, addiction expert and fellow with the American Psychological Association.
It "could really unfavourably impact their attachment security, which they will carry for life,” Grant said.
Grant’s research represents one of the most comprehensive investigations into how kids perceive technology use by their primary caregivers, and the toll that use can take on the parent-child dynamic. Though "digital addiction” and other excessive use of social media by kids and teens have long been a focus of mental health experts, the impact of parents distracted by their phones has received comparatively less attention, even as consumer gadgets targeting tech addiction gain popularity.
"We know that they got the kids,” Grant said, alluding to the social media companies found liable for designing their platforms to keep young users hooked. "Bravo, you got us too,” he said of parents. "We were not immune to the psychological motivations and manipulations.”
The new study adds to a growing body of research on the effects of what some call "technoference” – how using devices in the presence of others can undermine relationships, often leaving people physically present but otherwise absent. Prior studies have examined those intrusions in romantic relationships between adults, for example.
This type of distraction has become normalised. Nearly half of American teens say their parents are "at least sometimes distracted” by a phone during their interactions, according to 2024 Pew Research Center data. When parents were asked about their own behaviour, far fewer said this was an issue. Still, earlier Pew data from 2020 found most parents feel their phones can interfere with quality family time, with 68% reporting being "at least sometimes” distracted by them.
"I’ve had parents who thought they were the greatest parents in the world saying, ‘I was at every ballet rehearsal, I was at every softball practice, what are you talking about?’” Grant said. "And the kids will say, ‘Yeah, you were there, but you weren’t. Every time I looked up, you were looking down at your device.’”
Tech addiction and its impact on young people have become a major focus for the broader industry this year. Social networking giants Meta Platforms Inc, Google’s YouTube, TikTok and Snap Inc are all facing thousands of lawsuits alleging that their products cause harm to adolescents. – Bloomberg
