The Relationship Between Parental Attachment and Mobile Phone Dependence Among Chinese Rural Adolescents: The Role of Alexithymia and Mindfulness

Abstract

Mobile phone has experienced a significant increase in popularity among adolescents in recent years. Findings indicate dependence on mobile phone is related to poor parent-child relationship. However, previous research on mobile phone dependence (MPD) is scant and mainly focus on adult samples. In this view, the present study investigated the association between parental attachment and MPD as well as its influence mechanism, in sample of adolescents in rural China. Data were collected from three middle schools in rural areas of Jiangxi and Hubei Province (N = 693, 46.46% female, Mage = 14.88, SD = 1.77). Participants completed the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA), the twenty-item Toronto alexithymia scale (TAS-20), the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) and the Mobile Phone Addiction Index Scale (MPAI). Among the results, parental attachment negatively predicted MPD and alexithymia were exerting partial mediation effect between parental attachment and MPD. Further, mindfulness acted as moderator of the relationship between alexithymia and MPD: The negative impact of alexithymia on MPD was weakened under the condition of high level of mindfulness. Knowledge of this mechanism could be useful for understanding adolescents’ MPD in terms of the interaction of multiple factors.

Cell Phone Addiction in Adolescents: A Narrative Review

“…In a study on adolescents from middle schools in rural China, parental attachment negatively predicted mobile phone addiction [51]. This effect was partially mediated by depression.…”

Alexithymia and Problematic Mobile Phone Use: A Moderated Mediation Model

“…In addition, it had been found that if we enhance an individual's level of awareness, the mindfulness displays a protective role for problematic habitual behaviors such as disordered mobile phone use (Lan et al, 2018). Li and Hao (2019) have reported the moderation effect of mindfulness in the positive relationship between alexithymia and problematic mobile phone use where the adverse impact was weakened under the condition of high level of mindfulness. However, there is no study to our knowledge that has examined the specific roles of the mindfulness facets in this relationship.…”

Unable to Describe My Feelings and Emotions Without an Addiction: The Interdependency Between Alexithymia and Addictions

“…Therefore, the feeling of not being accepted and the lack of a sense of belonging might lead alexithymic subjects to use alternative modalities to communicate and interact with others (e.g. online platforms, Internet, and mobile phones) which may result in the early development of a technological addiction (46). Overall, one could argue that alexithymia might be both a stable personality trait that may constitute a vulnerability/risk factor for the development and/or maintenance of an addiction disorder, and a defensive mechanism (i.e., a variable state) secondary to a psychological distress which may arise or worsen an SUD/AUD or a behavioural addiction already present (3,53).…”

“…Mobile phone addiction is a behaviour characterized by an excessive indulgence to activities related to mobile phones, accompanied by a constant dependence on mobile phones, which results in a general loss of self-control and compromised psychological and social functioning (44)(45)(46). Mobile phone addicts might possess emotional recognition deficits, which may lead to more interpersonal issues as they usually attempt to cover/mask their own emotional states by escaping from reality by means of mobile phones (9).…”