The Effects of Parent’s Smartphone Dependency on Child’s Smartphone Dependency: Serial Mediating Effects of Parenting, Child’s Depression and Aggression

Abstract

Objectives: This study examined the two-way effect of a parent’s smartphone dependency on child’s smartphone dependency focusing on the serial mediating effects of positive/negative parenting, and child’s depression/aggression.Methods: The sample comprised 2,290 fifth-grade elementary school students and their parents (father or mother). The results of descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation were calculated using SPSS 25 and the mediation model was analyzed using AMOS 25.0. The comparison among the serial mediation models was analyzed using AMOS 25.0 syntax.Results: A parent’s smartphone dependency had a significant direct effect on child’s smartphone dependency. The mediating effects of both positive/negative parenting and child’s depression/agression on the relationship between parent’s and child’s smartphone dependency were significant, supporting the serial mediation model. As a parent’s smartphone dependency increased, negative parenting increased while the positive parenting decreased. As negative parenting increased, a child’s depression and aggression did as well, finally leading to higher levels of smartphone dependency in the child. In contrast, as positive parenting increased, the child’s depression and aggression decreased leading to lower levels of smartphone dependency in the child. The path from parent’s to child’s smartphone dependency through negative parenting and aggression had the highest mediation effect.Conclusion: This study showed that the child’s smartphone dependency is affected by not only by childrelated factors (depression and aggression) but also parent-related factors (smartphone dependency and parenting). Additionally, comparing mediational effects, interventions focusing on negative parenting and child’s aggression might be more effective to reduce levels of child smartphone dependency.