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The Longitudinal Association Between Habitual Smartphone Use and Peer Attachment: A Random Intercept Latent
Haoyu Zhao1, Michelle Dusko Biferie1, Bowen Xiao1
1Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
Summary
Adolescents with higher habitual smartphone use showed increased likelihood of developing weaker peer attachment over time. This highlights the need for managing smartphone engagement to foster stronger adolescent peer connections.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Adolescent Development
- Digital Media Studies
Background:
- Excessive online time in adolescents is linked to loneliness, depression, and anxiety.
- Current measures of 'hours spent online' may not fully capture problematic smartphone engagement.
- Habitual smartphone use offers a more nuanced approach to measuring smartphone engagement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between habitual smartphone use and peer attachment in Canadian adolescents.
- To examine how habitual smartphone use influences transitions between different profiles of peer attachment.
- To provide insights for caregivers on managing adolescent smartphone use.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study with 1303 Canadian high school students over 2 years.
- Utilized random intercept latent transition analysis (RI-LTA) to assess associations.
- Measured habitual smartphone use (absent-minded subscale) and peer attachment profiles.
Main Results:
- Identified three peer attachment profiles: weak communication/alienation, strong communication/low alienation, and okay communication/high alienation.
- Increased habitual smartphone use was significantly associated with a higher probability of transitioning from strong peer attachment to weaker attachment.
- An odds ratio of 1.21 (95% CI 1.003-1.46) indicated this heightened probability.
Conclusions:
- Adolescents with greater habitual smartphone use may experience diminished peer attachment over time.
- Findings suggest that habitual smartphone use can negatively impact the quality of adolescent peer relationships.
- Caregivers should focus on managing and discussing smartphone engagement to support adolescent peer attachment.
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