Does Mom Love Her Phone More Than Me? How Tech Affects Attachment

Study: "Mommy, do you love your phone more than me?"

I investigated how adolescents perceive their caregivers' device use and its impact on our attachment bond. Validating the Device Attachment Interference Scale with 600 U.S. teens, I found that higher perceptions of parental distraction correlate strongly with insecure attachment. These results suggest that when parents are mentally absent due to screens, it fundamentally alters how children feel valued and connected.

"Parental phubbing is a new form of social neglect during parent-child interactions, resulting in adolescents who feel rejected by parents and alienated from peers."