Story perspectives

600 Teens Find Parental Phone Use Fuels Insecure Attachment

7/10/2026

Summary

Story summary

U.S. researchers surveyed 600 adolescents and found parental phone distraction correlates with insecure attachment.
The 2026 Frontiers in Psychology paper used a Device Attachment Interference Scale with an attachment survey.
Higher DAIS scores were linked to avoidant and anxious attachment among teens who felt ignored by parents.
Researchers warned the correlation does not prove causation, noting author Don Grant’s claim that pattern may lower teens’ self-esteem and confidence into adulthood.

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Story summary

U.S. researchers surveyed 600 adolescents and found parental phone distraction correlates with insecure attachment.
The 2026 Frontiers in Psychology paper used a Device Attachment Interference Scale with an attachment survey.
Higher DAIS scores were linked to avoidant and anxious attachment among teens who felt ignored by parents.
Researchers warned the correlation does not prove causation, noting author Don Grant’s claim that pattern may lower teens’ self-esteem and confidence into adulthood.