Distracted, Interrupted, or Disrupted: A Pathway Model of Technoference

Responsive parent–child interactions fundamentally influence children’s development and socialization. However, smartphones and other digital devices have increasingly interfered in these interactions, leading to a growing interest in technoference—technology‐based interruptions in interpersonal interactions. While researchers often use the terms distraction, interruption, and disruption synonymously, the conceptual distinction between these forms of interference remains underexplored. Drawing from developmental psychology and various theoretical frameworks relevant to interruptions, we discuss how the types of interference and the responses of parents and children together shape both immediate interaction quality and long‐term relationship outcomes. In this review, we introduce the Technoference Pathway Model, a new theoretical framework that differentiates three types of technoference, outlines their unique characteristics, and examines their potential impacts and outcomes on parents, children, and the parent–child relationship. We highlight measurement challenges inherent in the existing literature and propose a framework for distinguishing these terms in technoference research and other research fields examining interruptions in contemporary family life. We conclude by outlining implications, future research directions, and recommendations for advancing the field.