Parental Phubbing and Young Children’ Problem Behavior: A Moderated Mediation Model

Abstract

Child problem behaviors refer to those behaviors that are detrimental to physical and mental health of young children, including externalizing problems such as aggression, violence, disobedience to discipline, etc. and internalizing ones like anxiety, depression, withdrawal and so on. Problem behaviors impede children’s acquisition of knowledge and skills. The parent-child relationship is considered a key factor affecting children’s growth, and the quality of parent-child interaction can predict child problem behaviors. The popularization of smart phones and other electronic devices today has led to a special human behavior dubbed “phubbing”, which is not beneficial to interpersonal communication and interaction. As a result, it is necessary to undertake a deep investigation into the negative impact of parental phubbing on child development.