Parents guilty of “phubbing”.

Parents pass their smartphone addiction on to their children, researchers say.

They are guilty of phubbing – ignoring someone in favor of a phone – and damaging their relationships with teenagers.

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And as moms and dads started showing signs they couldn’t put down their phones, teen addictions turned out to be higher.

The same families also reported poorer parent-child relationships.

According to a study by King’s College London, more than a third of young people showed symptoms of phone addiction.

Signs include getting upset when away from their device and losing control of how long they’ve been scrolling.

The latest study by a public health team at China’s Lanzhou and Shenzhen Universities tracked smartphone use among nearly 10,000 youth.

dr Yanni Wang wrote in the Journal of Affective Disorders: “Adolescents were more likely to become addicted when their parents used smartphones excessively

“Overload has become a social problem for young people, affecting personal life and academic performance.

“It can have debilitating effects on physical and mental health, causing fatigue, digestive problems, trouble sleeping, depression, anxiety and impulsivity.”