Delaying adolescent smartphone ownership: A qualitative dyadic study with parents and adolescents

Smartphones are being acquired at increasingly younger ages in the United States. Although existing research suggests that the age of acquisition is not strongly associated with adolescent outcomes, there are growing calls to delay smartphone ownership. Delaying smartphone use can be seen as a form of family media resistance, or the intentional choice to limit or avoid specific technologies. However, little is known about the lived experiences of adolescents and parents who make this choice. This study explored the experiences of 13 parent – adolescent dyads (n = 26 individuals) through in-depth, individual interviews. Using qualitative dyadic analysis, four themes emerged: (1) Navigating the promise and peril of smartphones, (2) Relational benefits and developmental trade-offs of not having a smartphone, (3) Defining and deciding readiness for smartphone ownership, and (4) Gradual exposure through alternatives. Both parents and adolescents reported minimal drawbacks and highlighted several benefits to delaying smartphones, including increased engagement in offline activities and strengthened family connections. Prior State of Knowledge: Although smartphone ownership is nearly universal among adolescents, little is known about how families experience deliberately delaying smartphone acquisition. Novel Contributions: This qualitative dyadic study provides the first in-depth parent – adolescent accounts of delaying smartphone ownership as a form of media resistance, identifying perceived relational benefits, readiness criteria, and phased introduction strategies. Practical Implications: Practitioners can use these findings to understand families’ perceived benefits and challenges of delaying smartphone use, as well as how they plan transitional strategies for introducing smartphone ownership, all in alignment with broader family values and media practices.