Examining the associations between smartphone use and mother-infant bonding and family functioning: A survey design

Excessive smartphone use has been found to be associated with dysfunctional social and family relations. While most studies of this phenomenon have focused on adolescent and adult addiction, none has yet to focus on mothers with infants. This study examined the association of excessive smartphone use with mother-infant bonding, maternal mental health, and family functioning in Jordan. The predictive value of the study variables with respect to the level of smartphone use was evaluated. A descriptive correlational cross-sectional survey design was used. A sample of 114 mothers with infants was interviewed in person and completed a web-based questionnaire. Approximately 16% reported using smartphones 5 to 14 hours per day; 6.7% described themselves as smartphone addicts. The results suggest that excessive smartphone use may be linked to unhealthy family functioning. No associations were found between smartphone use and mother-infant bonding or maternal mental health. Raising awareness of this linkage and limiting smartphone use are recommended as precautionary measures. Although this study failed to find any association between smartphone use and mother-infant bonding, further studies using empirical methods might have better success.