The effect of parental phubbing on adolescents’ smartphone addiction and phubbing behavior

Parental phubbing, defined as parents' tendency to ignore their children by focusing on smartphones, has emerged as a potential risk factor for adolescents' psychosocial development and technology-related behaviors. This descriptive, correlational and cross-sectional study examined the associations between parental phubbing, adolescents' smartphone addiction, and phubbing behavior. Participants were 561 adolescents aged 14-17 years and their parents, recruited from high schools between November 2024 and July 2025. Validated instruments assessed parental phubbing, adolescent phubbing, and smartphone usage patterns. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted, adjusting for daily internet use and parental smartphone use. Findings indicated that parental phubbing significantly predicted adolescent phubbing (beta = 0.521, p < .001) and, to a lesser extent, smartphone addiction (beta = 0.093, p < .05). Daily internet usage emerged as a stronger predictor than parental smartphone use for both outcomes. The final models explained 27.9% of the variance in adolescent phubbing and 1.5% in smartphone addiction. These results highlight the reciprocal nature of digital behaviors within families, suggesting that adolescents may model their smartphone use after parental patterns. From a psychological perspective, the findings emphasize the importance of addressing family communication and parental technology habits. Family-focused psychoeducational programs and awareness initiatives may help reduce parental phubbing, enhance parent - child interactions, and support adolescents' psychological adjustment in the digital age.