The Effects of Father and Mother Attachment Perceived by Middle School Students on Smartphone Addiction: A Short-Term Longitudinal Study of the Mediating Effect of School Adjustment

Abstract

Objectives: This study examined the effects of father and mother attachment on smartphone addiction and the mediating role of school adjustment among middle school students. Methods: Data from 1,178 participants in Waves 14-16 of the Panel Study on Korean Children were analyzed using structural equation modeling and bootstrapping. Attachment, school adjustment, and smartphone addiction were measured in the first, second, and third years of middle school, respectively. Results: Father and mother attachment had significant positive effects on school adjustment, which had a significant negative effect on smartphone addiction. Their direct effects on smartphone addiction were not significant, but the indirect effects through school adjustment were significant. Conclusions: Father and mother attachment were indirectly associated with later smartphone addiction through school adjustment, highlighting the importance of parent–adolescent attachment and school adjustment in prevention.