Parenting Style and Smartphone Addiction in Adolescents: The Mediating Roles of Shyness and Loneliness

Mothers' and fathers' parenting styles may be important predictors of smartphone addiction. However, some uncertainty still exists about the relationship between these two variables, and few studies to date have investigated the mediating role of both shyness and loneliness in this relationship from the perspective of mothers' and fathers' parenting styles. To fill these gaps, a total of 1,628 adolescents completed self-report measures of parenting style, shyness, loneliness, and smartphone addiction. The results revealed that parental emotional warmth was negatively correlated with smartphone addiction, whereas parental rejection and over-protection were positively correlated with smartphone addiction. Furthermore, the association between over-protection and shyness was more pronounced for mothers than for fathers. Additionally, shyness and loneliness acted as chain mediators in the relationship between the two parenting styles-emotional warmth and over-protection-and smartphone addiction. These findings underscore the critical roles of shyness and loneliness in mediating the relationship between parenting styles and adolescent smartphone addiction. This study provides valuable insights into the mechanisms behind the relationship between parenting styles and adolescent smartphone addiction.