The Role of Emotional Dependence on Partners and Friends in Relation to Problematic Use of the Internet, Smartphones, and Videogames

Emotional dependence on a partner has been found to be associated with problematic use of the internet, smartphones, and videogames. However, it has not been studied in relation to emotional dependence on friends. The present study aimed to (i) explore whether emotional dependence towards friends and partners accounts for variance in problematic internet use, problematic smartphone use, and problematic videogame playing, and (ii) examine which type of emotional dependence exhibits a stronger association with these behaviors among adolescents. The sample comprised 435 Spanish high school students aged 12–19 years (52.6% female). In this cross-sectional study, emotional dependence on friends and partners accounted for a significant amount of explained variance in problematic internet use ( R 2 = .22) and problematic smartphone use ( R 2 = .29), with dependence on partners exhibiting stronger associations ( β = .32 and β = .35, respectively) than dependence on friends ( β = .24 and β = .27, respectively). Conversely, for problematic video game playing ( R 2 = .17), only emotional dependence on partners emerged as a significant psychological factor ( β = .20). Recognising the role of emotional dependence on friends is important because most research has only studied emotional dependence on partners. During adolescence, many individuals do not form romantic relationships, but they do form friendships. Recognising this problem and its effects may be useful for earlier prevention and treatment. Future studies could examine these variables using a longitudinal design.