An examination of helicopter parenting perception, emotional and psychological well-being, life satisfaction, and smartphone addiction in selective high schools

This study aims to examine the perceptions of having helicopter parents, emotional and psychological well-being, life satisfaction, and smartphone addiction among students attending selective high schools in the Kırşehir/Merkez district. These variables are analyzed in relation to gender, school type, grade level, number of siblings, perceived academic achievement, ownership of a personal phone, daily time spent on the phone, perceived family economic status, mother's education level, father's education level, participation in regular sports, music, art, or similar activities, perceived parental attitudes, and mother's employment status. The population of the study consists of all students enrolled in the 9th, 10th, and 11th grades at five different selective high schools in the Kırşehir/Merkez district during the second semester of the 2022-2023 academic year. The study utilized the "Perceived Helicopter Parenting Scale", "Emotional and Psychological Well-Being Scale", "Life Satisfaction Scale", and "Smartphone Addiction Scale – Short Version". Findings indicate that the majority of participating high school students perceive their parents as demonstrating normal levels of involvement and show low levels of emotional and psychological well-being, life satisfaction, and smartphone addiction. Perceptions of having helicopter parents differ significantly according to gender, school type, grade level, participation in regular sports, music, art, or similar activities, and perceived parental attitudes. Emotional and psychological well-being, life satisfaction, and smartphone addiction differ significantly by gender, school type, perceived academic achievement, daily time spent on the phone and perceived parental attitudes.