Examination of the relationship between smart phone addiction, behavioral and emotional problems and parent attitudes in adolescents

The aim of this study is to examine the relationships between smartphone addiction symtomps and sociodemographic variables, behavioral and emotional problems, and parental attitudes. The study included 168 students of 7th, 8th, 11th and 12th grade levels, aged between 12-18 (96 girls and 72 boys; mean age, 15.40±1.98). Smartphone Addiction Scale, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and Parental Attitude Scale were used to collect data within the scope of the research. According to the results of this study, adolescents aged 16-18 showed increased symptoms of smartphone addiction compared to adolescents aged 12-15. In addition, female students showed greater smartphone addiction symtoms than male students. Smartphone addiction symptoms in adolescents did not differ significantly according to the education level of the mother, education level of the father, family's monthly income and parents' marital status. There was a negative correlation between parental attitudes of psychological autonomy (r= -.28), and control (r= -.34) and smartphone addiction symptoms. A positive correlation between behavioral problems (r=.28), attention deficit heyperactivity disorder problems (r=.24) and smartphone addiction symptoms has been detected. Similarly, a positive correlation was found between Difficulty Questionnaire total scores (r=.17) and smartphone addiction symptoms.