The Mediating Role of Family Communication in the Relationship Between Academic Achievement Pressure and Problematic...

Background/Objectives: Problematic smartphone use among early adolescents is a growing public health concern, often influenced by psychosocial stressors such as parental academic achievement pressure. Despite evidence linking academic pressure to adolescent stress and maladaptive coping behaviors, the mediating role of family communication in this relationship remains underexplored. This study investigates whether family communication mediates the association between perceived parental academic pressure and problematic smartphone use in early adolescents. Methods: Using a cross-sectional correlational design, data from the 15th wave (2022) of the nationally representative Public Korean Children's Panel (PSKC) were analyzed, including 1249 adolescents born in 2008. Logistic regression and mediation analyses assessed direct and indirect relationships among variables. Results: Among participants, 16.2% were classified as potential or high-risk smartphone users. Higher perceived parental academic pressure significantly increased the odds of problematic smartphone use (OR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.20-1.72), whereas better family communication was associated with lower odds (OR = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.53-0.83). Mediation analysis showed that family communication partially mediated the effect of academic pressure on smartphone addiction. Conclusions: These findings highlight family communication as a key psychosocial mechanism buffering the negative impact of parental academic pressure on adolescent smartphone use. Enhancing family communication may be a critical focus for interventions to prevent problematic smartphone behaviors in adolescents facing high academic demands.