Smartphone use during the perinatal period: Findings from a longitudinal study with first-time parents

Abstract

Becoming a parent is a complex life transition involving many adaptations in psychological functioning. To date, we know little about how couples use smartphones during their transition to parenthood. This study examined changes in different aspects of parental smartphone use and associations with specific parental and infant characteristics in the perinatal period.Ninety-five first-time parents completed questionnaires at three time points: during the last trimester of pregnancy, at 1.5–2 months, and at 3–4 months after birth. We assessed parents’ daily smartphone usage time, feelings of immersion during smartphone use, smartphone addiction, and interruptions in social interactions caused by smartphone use. Linear mixed models served to test changes in smartphone use and associations with parental impulsivity, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and with infant temperament.Whereas parents’ daily smartphone usage time remained similar, feelings of immersion during smartphone use decreased over the perinatal period. After birth, higher levels of parental impulsivity and anxiety as well as a more difficult infant temperament predicted higher levels of smartphone addiction. A more difficult infant temperament was associated with higher levels of immersion during smartphone use.Our study provides, for the first time, systematic and longitudinal evidence on parental smartphone use during the perinatal period. Results suggest that more impulsive and anxious parents and parents with infants who are experienced as more difficult are at risk for more problematic smartphone use during this life transition.