A network analysis of alexithymia and smartphone addiction in children and adults

Research has demonstrated the connection between problematic mobile phone use and alexithymia. However, few study directly compared the pattern of alexithymia’s linkage to smartphone addiction across age groups. The present network analysis study illustrated, in a neurotypical sample of 510 children (aged 8–12 years) and 1107 adults (aged 18–54 years), the exact pattern of how alexithymia is associated with smartphone addiction on a symptom-level. In a subgroup of 364 adults, the role of autistic traits was also explored. The network analysis revealed patterns connecting alexithymia with more severe smartphone addiction in both children and adults, with the node “smartphone addiction-withdrawal” having the highest strength centrality. Based on the network comparison test, global strength was significantly stronger among adults. In the adult sample, even after controlling for symptoms of depression and anxiety, alexithymia was still positively related to smartphone addiction. Autistic traits also exhibited significant positive correlations with smartphone addiction. This study adds further evidence on the link between alexithymia and smartphone addiction across age groups. Considering the popularity of digital interventions for individuals with mental health problems, we point to a potential risk of being addicted to smartphones posed by having alexithymia.