The Relationship Between Fphubbing and Adolescents' Problematic Smartphone Use: The Moderating Role of Mindfulness

With the rapid boom of mobile internet technology and the extensive popularization of smartphones, problematic smartphone use (PSU) has become a ubiquitous phenomenon among adolescents, which has attracted much scientific attention. Although previous studies have paid attention to impacts of parental phubbing on adolescents” smartphone use, few of them have focused on exploring how father phubbing (Fphubbing) is associated with PSU among adolescents. Besides, the mechanisms underlying this association has not yet been examined. A total of 1978 adolescents were recruited to complete the questionnaires on Fphubbing, adolescents' depressive symptoms, PSU and mindfulness. It was found that Fphubbing had a significant and positive association with adolescents” PSU, and the relationship between them was mediated by adolescents' depressive symptoms. Further-more, mindfulness played a moderating role in the direct link between Fphubbing and adolescents' PSU and the indirect link between them via adolescents' depressive symptoms. The current study increases our knowledge of how and when Fphubbing is correlated with adolescents' PSU.