Childhood trauma may fuel teenage smartphone addiction
A study from Ewha Womans University suggests that childhood abuse is a significant risk factor for teenage smartphone addiction. Researchers found that abuse often leads to lower self-esteem and depression, which in turn drives excessive phone usage as a coping mechanism.
Why it matters
This research highlights the need for trauma-informed care in mental health interventions rather than just focusing on screen-time restrictions.
SEOUL: Childhood abuse may leave teenagers more vulnerable to smartphone addiction by eroding self-esteem and deepening depression, according to a Korean study that suggests excessive phone use can reflect trauma rather than a lack of self-control.
Adolescents who reported higher levels of physical, verbal or emotional abuse by parents or caregivers also tended to show stronger signs of smartphone addiction, the study found.
Lower self-esteem and more severe depressive symptoms were each associated with greater smartphone dependence. Experiences of abuse were also linked to lower self-worth and higher levels of depression.
“Childhood abuse has a direct effect on smartphone addiction,” the researchers wrote. They also identified a sequential pathway in which abuse lowers self-esteem, increases depression and ultimately raises the risk of smartphone addiction.
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