The effects of excessive smartphone use among children and teenagers are widely covered, with concerns ranging from anxiety and sleep problems to social isolation. But a recent study has turned the tables.
A new study published in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Psychology suggests that parents' own device habits may also be taking a toll on teenagers. Researchers found that adolescents who perceive their caregivers as frequently distracted by phones and other devices are more likely to develop insecure attachment styles - patterns that can affect relationships, mental health and overall wellbeing later in life.
The findings add to a growing body of research on "technoference" and "phubbing", terms used to describe the way technology interrupts human interactions. According to the researchers, repeated moments of parental distraction, even if brief, may carry emotional significance for adolescents who are still seeking attention, validation and emotional connection from their caregivers.
When parents are present, but not fully there
The researchers noted that although there is extensive literature examining the impact of adolescents' own device use on physical and psychological health, much less attention has been paid to what happens when parents are distracted by screens while interacting with their children.
"While there is robust literature on the negative impact of adolescent device use on physical and psychological health, there is less research on the use of technology in the presence of others and its implications for key relationships. Known as 'technoference' and 'phubbing,' these device-based behaviors have only recently been examined in parent-child contexts," the authors wrote.
The study was partly inspired by stories the researchers encountered in clinical practice. One mother familiar with the first author's work on healthy digital habits recalled a distressing moment when her young daughter asked, "Mommy, do you love your phone more than me?" Similar experiences were increasingly being reported by adolescents, who said parental attention to screens often left them feeling ignored, dismissed or unimportant.
Smartphone use has become nearly universal, and surveys cited by the researchers suggest many parents recognise the problem. In 2020, 68 per cent of parents admitted they were at least sometimes distracted by their phones while with their children. A 2024 Pew survey found that 46 per cent of teenagers reported that a parent was distracted by their phone during conversations at least occasionally.
Previous studies have linked parental "phubbing" with behavioural problems in children, poorer relationship quality and feelings of rejection among adolescents. Some researchers have even described parental phubbing as "a new form of social neglect during parent-child interactions".
The new study draws on attachment theory, proposed by psychiatrist John Bowlby, which suggests that children develop expectations about relationships based on how consistently caregivers respond to them. When children feel attended to and emotionally supported, they are more likely to develop secure attachment. In contrast, inconsistent or unavailable caregiving has been associated with anxiety, depression, poor self-esteem, social isolation and difficulties in forming healthy relationships later in life.
The researchers wondered whether device-related distractions could represent a modern risk factor influencing attachment security during adolescence.
Could parental phone use affect teenagers' sense of security?
To investigate the question, researchers conducted a three-phase study involving 600 adolescents aged between 12 and 17 years from across the United States. Participants were recruited in August 2025 and represented a general population sample.
The team developed and validated a new tool called the Device Attachment Interference Scale (DAIS), which was designed to measure adolescents' perceptions of their caregivers' attentional availability in the context of device use.
Participants rated statements such as whether their caregiver ignored them while using a device, seemed inattentive during important events, spent too much time on their phone, or made them feel unimportant by refusing to put down their device. Researchers then compared these responses with scores from an established scale used to assess attachment styles.
The results showed a consistent association between higher scores on the Device Attachment Interference Scale and greater insecure attachment, including both anxious and avoidant attachment patterns.
"Additionally, higher DAIS scores were consistently associated with greater insecure attachment (both anxious and avoidant) to both mother- and father-like figures," the researchers wrote.
Regression analyses showed that elevated device-related distraction among caregivers was linked with higher attachment insecurity regardless of whether the primary caregiver was a mother-like or father-like figure.
"Overall, this data is evidence that higher caregiver device-centric behaviors have a relationship with problematic family dynamics, specifically those related to insecure attachment," the researchers said.
The authors noted that their previous study had only found a significant association with mother figures, likely because there had been too few fathers in the earlier sample. The larger dataset in the current study demonstrated similar associations with both parents.
According to attachment theory, children who are consistently and sensitively attended to develop secure attachment and learn that their needs matter. Greater attachment security has been associated with higher life satisfaction, emotional wellbeing and healthier relationships. In contrast, insecure attachment has been linked to depression, anxiety, emotional regulation difficulties, low self-esteem, aggression and risky behaviours.
The researchers stressed that the findings do not prove that parental phone use causes insecure attachment.
"It is important to recognise that the present findings are correlational and cross-sectional in nature and therefore do not permit conclusions regarding directionality or causality," they cautioned.
They noted that adolescents with insecure attachment styles may themselves be more sensitive to parental unavailability and therefore perceive device use more negatively. Other unmeasured family or social factors could also explain the association.
Despite these limitations, the authors said the findings contribute to a growing literature on how digital distractions influence relationships.
"These findings align with a growing literature on technoference and phubbing, which has documented associations between device-related distraction and relationship quality across a range of interpersonal contexts," they wrote.
Unlike traditional attachment risk factors such as neglect, family disruption or mental illness, device-related distraction is largely under the caregiver's control.
"Unlike traditional forms of caregiver unavailability, device-related distraction is often intermittent, socially normalized, and embedded within otherwise typical caregiver-adolescent interactions," the researchers noted.
They added, "Unlike other caregiver attachment risk factors identified above, device-related behaviors are entirely subject to the caregiver's volitional control. As such, even brief but repeated disruptions in caregiver responsiveness may take on relational significance for adolescents."
The scientists suggested that future studies should include long-term observations and even video recordings of parent-adolescent interactions to better understand how digital distractions shape emotional bonds.
‘The quality of attention matters’
Mr Saikishore, Clinical Psychologist at Aster Whitefield Hospital, said adolescence remains a stage when young people still rely heavily on parents for emotional validation, guidance and a sense of security, even though they may appear increasingly independent.
According to him, repeated moments of parental distraction can quietly shape how teenagers perceive their relationships. If parents are frequently occupied with phones during conversations, family time or moments when adolescents are seeking attention, teenagers may begin to feel unheard or unimportant.
"Over time, these repeated small interruptions can create emotional distance and give rise to feelings of rejection, confusion or uncertainty about the relationship," he said.
He added that some adolescents may be particularly vulnerable to the effects of perceived emotional unavailability. Teenagers already dealing with anxiety, low self-esteem, social difficulties, earlier attachment challenges or stressful life events may be more sensitive to such experiences.
"It is important to recognise that occasional phone use is unlikely to be harmful. The concern arises when device-related distraction becomes a consistent pattern that interferes with meaningful parent-child interactions," he said.
Saikishore noted that healthy digital boundaries within families could help strengthen emotional connections. According to him, the quality of attention matters as much as the amount of time spent together.
"Strong parent-child relationships are not built only on time spent together, but on how present and attentive parents are during those moments," he said.
He said simple habits such as device-free meals, uninterrupted conversations and dedicated one-on-one time can help adolescents feel heard, valued and emotionally connected. Research, he added, consistently shows that emotional availability and responsive communication act as important protective factors for adolescent mental health.
"Small gestures matter. Putting phones away during family discussions or resisting the urge to check notifications when a teenager is sharing something important sends a message of attentiveness and care," he said.
However, he cautioned that "phone hygiene" alone cannot solve every family challenge. "It can, nevertheless, create an environment where trust, communication and emotional security are more likely to flourish," he added.
Commenting on future research, Saikishore said long-term studies following families over several years are needed to determine whether parental device distraction contributes to changes in attachment security, anxiety, depression and emotional wellbeing over time.
"Longitudinal and observational studies would help clarify whether phone-related distraction precedes these outcomes or simply coexists with other pressures," he said.
He added that experimental studies examining whether reducing device use during family interactions improves relationship quality could provide stronger evidence for a causal link.
According to him, future research should also account for factors such as parenting style, family stress, socioeconomic conditions and adolescents' own screen habits, as these variables may influence both parental phone use and teenagers' emotional wellbeing.
"The current findings are important because they highlight a behaviour that is potentially modifiable, and that makes it worthy of much deeper investigation," he said.
This story is done in collaboration with First Check, which is the health journalism vertical of DataLEADS
