"Childhood Abuse Experience Increases Smartphone Addiction in Adolescence"

▲ Adolescents and Smartphones

A research study has shown that experiencing abuse during childhood increases the degree of smartphone addiction in adolescence.

The analysis suggests that smartphone addiction may not simply be a matter of a lack of self-control, but rather the result of a combination of negative household experiences and psychological vulnerability.

Published in June in the 54th volume, issue 2 of Mental Health and Social Work, an academic journal by the Korean Academy of Mental Health Social Work, a paper titled "The Relationship Between Childhood Abuse Experiences and Smartphone Addiction in Adolescents" detailed these findings.

The authors (including Jeon Cho-won, a doctoral student in the Department of Social Welfare at Ewha Womans University) used data from the 2022 Korea Children's Panel to analyze the relationships among abuse experiences, self-esteem, depression, and smartphone addiction in 1,269 eighth-grade middle school students (647 males and 622 females) who owned smartphones.

In the survey, abuse experiences were defined as physical, verbal, and emotional abuse inflicted by parents or guardians.

The analysis confirmed that higher levels of childhood abuse experiences tended to be associated with higher levels of smartphone addiction.

Lower levels of self-esteem and higher levels of depression were also associated with increased smartphone addiction levels.

Furthermore, abuse experiences were found to lower self-esteem and increase depression.

The paper explained that "childhood experiences of abuse have a direct impact on smartphone addiction," adding that "in addition, a sequential pathway was confirmed in which abuse experiences lower self-esteem and increase depression, thereby leading to higher smartphone addiction."

Based on these findings, the paper suggested that prevention and intervention for adolescent smartphone addiction should not be limited to simply restricting usage time or setting usage rules, but should expand in a direction that simultaneously addresses negative life experiences such as abuse.

Specifically, it stated, "Schools and counseling or welfare centers should establish an integrated risk assessment system that jointly checks for abuse experiences, family conflicts, and emotional difficulties in adolescents excessively dependent on smartphones," and added that "interventions for smartphone addiction in abuse victims need to apply a 'trauma-informed care' perspective."

In addition, the paper noted, "We need to strengthen the referral system to screen at-risk students and connect them with community resources such as counseling and welfare centers, mental health welfare centers, child protection agencies, and medical institutions when necessary," and added, "It is also necessary to strengthen the connection between child abuse response systems and adolescent digital addiction prevention systems."

(Photo: Yonhap News)

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