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. 2021 Sep;31(3):748-763.
doi: 10.1111/jora.12658.

Social Disconnection During COVID-19: The Role of Attachment, Fear of Missing Out, and Smartphone Use

Natasha Parent  1 , Kyle Dadgar  1 , Bowen Xiao  1 , Cassandra Hesse  1 , Jennifer D Shapka  1
Affiliations

Social Disconnection During COVID-19: The Role of Attachment, Fear of Missing Out, and Smartphone Use

Natasha Parent et al. J Res Adolesc. 2021 Sep.

Abstract

This mixed-methods study explored adolescents' (n = 682) feelings of social connection in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic and examined potential risk (fear of missing out, problematic smartphone use) and protective (parent/peer attachment, smartphone use) factors to social disconnection. Data were collected from two schools in Canada using an online survey with questionnaires and open-ended questions. Three themes regarding adolescents' feelings of social connection during the pandemic were identified through thematic content analysis: (1) feeling socially connected, (2) feeling socially disconnected, and (3) feeling socially indifferent. Moreover, regression analysis identified secure peer attachments as a protective factor against social disconnection in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, while fear of missing out was identified as an independent risk factor.

Keywords: COVID-19; attachment; fear of missing out; smartphone use; social connection.

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