Parental Screen Habits Linked to Insecure Attachment in Teens

Researchers from Newport Healthcare surveyed 600 adolescents aged 12 to 17 to examine how caregiver device use impacts emotional safety and trust. To quantify these interactions, the team developed the Device Attachment Interference Scale, a measure designed to capture how digital distractions influence perceived emotional availability. The findings reveal a strong correlation between high levels of perceived parental distraction and increased anxiety or avoidant behaviors in children.

Don Grant, the study’s lead author, noted that the research grew from recurring themes in family counseling sessions over the last decade. While millennials are now entering parenthood as the first generation of digital natives, the study emphasizes that chronic digital disengagement can hinder a child's ability to build healthy, secure relationships. The authors clarify that parents do not need to abandon technology entirely, but rather prioritize acknowledgment when a child seeks interaction to ensure they feel seen and heard. Newport Healthcare plans to host a webinar on July 22 to discuss these research outcomes and offer clinical strategies for healing attachment ruptures within the family system.