Longitudinal Effect of Social Withdrawal on Negative Peer Relations Mediated by Smartphone Dependence among Korean Early Adolescents

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of social withdrawal on negative peer relations mediated by smartphone dependence among Korean youth. A longitudinal analysis of data was conducted from year 1 (2018), year 2 (2019), and year 3 (2020) of the middle school panel of the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey. Results regarding three variables measured at three time points showed that social withdrawal at the previous time affected smartphone dependence later, and smartphone dependence at the previous time had a static effect on negative peer relations. The results supported a causal relationship that proceeds from social withdrawal to negative peer relations, mediated by smartphone dependence. These results suggest that in the case of early adolescents who show social withdrawal, interventions regarding smartphone usage are needed for the development of sociality in the future by forming good peer relationships during adolescence.