KMAN Publication Inc. (KMANPUB) Journal of Psychosociological Research in Family and Culture 3041-8550 In Press 2026 07 01 Parental Phubbing and Adolescent Loneliness: A Longitudinal Cross-Lagged Panel Model of Emotional Availability, Parent–Child Attachment, and Problematic Social Media Use Parental Phubbing and Adolescent Loneliness: A Longitudinal Cross-Lagged Panel Model of Emotional Availability, Parent–Child Attachment, and Problematic Social Media Use 1 21 EN Journal Article 2025 12 31 <p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to examine the reciprocal longitudinal relationship between parental phubbing and adolescent loneliness and to test parental emotional availability, parent–child attachment, and problematic social media use as mediating mechanisms.</p> <p><strong>Methods and Materials:</strong> A three-wave longitudinal study was conducted with 600 Canadian adolescents aged 12–17 years, recruited from public secondary schools in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, and Quebec. Data were collected at baseline, six months, and 12 months using standardized measures of parental phubbing, adolescent loneliness, parental emotional availability, parent–child attachment, and problematic social media use. A cross-lagged panel model was estimated using robust maximum-likelihood procedures and full-information maximum likelihood for missing data. Age, gender, family structure, socioeconomic status, daily social media use, and baseline mental health treatment were controlled.</p> <p><strong>Findings:</strong> The final model demonstrated good fit, χ²(1249) = 2024.51, CFI = .951, TLI = .946, RMSEA = .032, and SRMR = .046. Parental phubbing significantly predicted subsequent loneliness, β = .17, p &lt; .001, whereas loneliness predicted later parental phubbing more weakly, β = .06, p = .032. Parental phubbing predicted lower emotional availability, β = −.22, weaker attachment, β = −.19, and greater problematic social media use, β = .15, all p &lt; .001. Emotional availability, attachment, and problematic social media use significantly predicted later loneliness. The total indirect effect of parental phubbing on loneliness was significant, β = .101, p &lt; .001, with relational pathways stronger than the behavioral pathway.</p> <p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> Parental phubbing appears to contribute prospectively to adolescent loneliness primarily by reducing perceived emotional availability and attachment security and, secondarily, by increasing problematic social media use.</p> https://www.journals.kmanpub.com/index.php/jprfc/article/download/6258/11712