Previous studies have investigated the relationship between alexithymia and problematic mobile phone use (PMPU) in adolescents. However, yet gaps remain in identifying the internal mechanisms of this relationship. The current research based on the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution model examined the mediating roles of adolescents’ social interaction anxiousness (SIA) and boredom proneness (BPS) in this relationship. A total of 1300 adolescents were recruited from China to completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, Social Interaction Anxiousness Scale, Boredom Proneness Scale, and Mobile Phone Addiction Index Questionnaire. In order to conduct conservative predictions, the demographic variables were controlled as covariates. The results showed that: (1) Alexithymia was positively linked with problematic mobile phone use; (2) both social interaction anxiousness and boredom proneness mediated the link between alexithymia and problematic mobile phone use; and (3) a serial indirect pathway emerged (Alexithymia→SIA→BPS→PMPU). These findings indicated that alexithymia could influence problematic mobile phone use in a simple indirect way (parallel mediation) and in a complex indirect way (serial mediation). Besides, these findings provide some insights into the prevention and intervention of problematic mobile phone use. Keywords: Alexithymia, Social interaction anxiousness, Boredom proneness, Problematic mobile phone use, Adolescents

Why individuals with alexithymia symptoms more likely to mobile phone addicted? The multiple mediating roles of social interaction anxiousness and boredom proneness