Phubbing among adolescents and problematic smartphone use by their parents - a new challenge for media education

Problematic smartphone use is a preventive and diagnostic challenge in media pedagogy and family pedagogy. Smartphones are currently used intensively by adolescents and their parents, which triggers many difficulties related to the control of behaviours mediated by digital media in both groups. Based on a survey conducted among Bosnian adolescents (N=1083) in 2021, it was noted that the phenomenon of phubbing also affects their parents. More than 36% of adolescents declare that their parents use their phones without real needs. Less than one in three (over 30%) declare that family life would be better without smartphones. Predictive models have shown that problematic smartphone use among parents is a significant factor in increasing phubbing among adolescents.