Do Smartphones Promote Anxious Attachment?

"Afterward, one mother commented that perhaps our fondness for our phones has to do with attachment-maybe having a phone with us, and being able to contact our loved ones at a moment's notice, has to do with our infantile wish to always be able to be in contact with our mothers. The mom who brought this up is in training to be a psychoanalyst herself."

"Prior to about 2010, parents often did not know exactly where their children were, and they couldn't necessarily get in touch with them right away. The same with partners and spouses. People had more autonomy prior to the advent of smartphones. And they had more privacy. If they so chose, whether child or adult, they could spend time without anyone knowing where they were. They could not be tracked and they could not be called."

Smartphones enable near-constant parental contact with children and teens, reducing their autonomy and privacy. Before widespread smartphone use, parents often did not know exact locations and could not reach loved ones immediately, which fostered greater independence. The expectation of prompt replies now generates panic or anger when children do not respond quickly. The convenience of immediate contact may gratify attachment needs and reflect a regressive wish for constant tethering. Parents should check with children and teens about acceptable levels of texting and reevaluate personal expectations for frequency of contact to support youth autonomy and privacy.

Read at Psychology Today