Unveiling the pathway: Exploring how neglectful parenting and peer alienation contribute to mobile phone dependency...

Growing dependency on mobile phones among children has become a pressing global concern, with Korean children showing similar trends. Given the evident physical and psychological implications of mobile phone dependency, it is crucial to comprehensively explore the underlying factors that contribute to children's dependent mobile phone use.

To address this issue, this study aimed to test the pathways leading to mobile phone dependency among first-year middle school students and elucidate the underlying influencing mechanism.

Nationally representative data targeting 1st-grade students (n = 2002), collected by the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey (KCYPS), was used. A total of 1937 responses (48.8 % female), reporting owning mobile phone were analyzed to examine the hypothesized model. Measures of neglectful parenting, peer alienation, self-esteem, social withdrawal, and mobile phone dependency were included in the model. Structural Equation Modeling was conducted using Mplus 8.7.

The findings demonstrated that unmet needs in relationships with parents and peers may contribute to mobile phone dependency, with self-esteem and social withdrawal serving as mediators.

These findings suggest that interventions focusing on relational support systems within families and peer networks could be crucial in diversifying pathways leading to mobile phone dependency. Addressing self-esteem and social withdrawal within these strategies is particularly important. Intervention strategies should be considered to mitigate these influences in or to provide insights into promoting healthier technology use among children.