Parental Anxiety and Children’s Smartphone Addiction in a Remote Indonesian Island Community

Abstract

Background: Excessive smartphone use among children has raised concerns regarding parental anxiety, particularly in rural and remote communities with limited psychosocial resources. This study examined factors associated with parental anxiety and children’s smartphone addiction in a remote Indonesian island community.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 72 parents. Parental anxiety was measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and children’s smartphone addiction using the Smartphone Addiction Scale–Short Version (SAS-SV). Data were analysed using Chi-square tests and Pearson correlation. 

Results: Family conflict was significantly associated with parental anxiety (p = 0.003). Parental age correlated positively with children’s smartphone addiction (r = 0.505; p = 0.046). Parental education level was also associated with addiction severity, while gender and economic status were not.

Conclusion: Family conflict and parental characteristics play a critical role in parental anxiety and children’s smartphone addiction in remote settings, highlighting the need for family-centered digital parenting interventions.