Factors Affecting Parental Mediation Strategies in Children’s Technology Use: A Systematic Review

Parents raise their children by using their own social, cultural, and financial resources. With the development of technology, parents started guiding their children in digital environments. In other words, parents attempt to regulate their children’s use of media while maximizing the benefits of media-rich digital environments for their children. This study aimed to examine, evaluate, and interpret the factors affecting parental mediation strategies through meta-synthesis method. A total of 16 studies were reviewed. The results revealed that demographic characteristics including age, gender, educational level, and socio-economic status, use of technology, parents’ attitudes and perceptions towards technology are the critical factors influencing parental mediation strategies.

Factors Affecting Parental Mediation Strategies in Children’s Technology Use: A Systematic Review

Parents raise their children by using their own social, cultural, and financial resources. With the development of technology, parents started guiding their children in digital environments. In other words, parents attempt to regulate their children’s use of media while maximizing the benefits of media-rich digital environments for their children. This study aimed to examine, evaluate, and interpret the factors affecting parental mediation strategies through meta-synthesis method. A total of 16 studies were reviewed. The results revealed that demographic characteristics including age, gender, educational level, and socio-economic status, use of technology, parents’ attitudes and perceptions towards technology are the critical factors influencing parental mediation strategies.

___

  • Aierbe, A., Oregui, E., & Bartau, I. (2019). Video games, parental mediation and gender socialization. Digital Education Review, 36, 100-116.
  • Aspfors, J., & Fransson, G. (2015). Research on mentor education for mentors of newly qualified teachers: A qualitative meta-synthesis.Teaching and Teacher Education, 48, 75-86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2015.02.004
  • Bartau-Rojas, I., Aierbe-Barandiaran, A., & Oregui-González, E. (2018). Parental mediation of the internet use of primary students: Beliefs, strategies and difficulties. Comunicar. Media Education Research Journal, 26(1), 71-79.
  • Başkale, H. (2016). Nitel araştırmalarda geçerlik, güvenirlik ve örneklem büyüklüğünün belirlenmesi [Determination of validity, reliability and sample size in qualitative studies]. Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Nursing Electronic Journal, 9(1), 23-28.
  • Brito, R., Francisco, R., Dias, P., & Chaudron, S. (2017). Family dynamics in digital homes: The role played by parental mediation in young children’s digital practices around 14 European countries. Contemporary Family Therapy, 39(4), 271-280.
  • Büyüköztürk, Ş., Kılıç Çakmak, E., Akgün, Ö. E., Karadeniz, Ş., & Demirel, F., (2018). Scientific research method 24th edition). Pegem Publication.
  • Cabello-Hutt, T., Cabello, P., & Claro, M. (2018). Online opportunities and risks for children and adolescents: The role of digital skills, age, gender and parental mediation in Brazil. New Media & Society, 20(7), 2411-2431.
  • Chen, W., Li, D., Bao, Z., Yan, Y., & Zhou, Z. (2015). The impact of parent-child attachment on adolescent problematic Internet use: A moderated mediation model. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 47(5), 611-623. https://doi.org/10.3724/SP.J.1041.2015.00611
  • Clark, L. S. (2011). Parental mediation theory for the digital age. Communication Theory, 21(4), 323-343. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2885.2011.01391.x
  • Condeza, R., Herrada-Hidalgo, N., & Barros-Friz, C. (2019). New parental mediation roles: parents' perceptions of their children's relationship with multiple screens. El Profesional de la Información (EPI), 28(4), 1699-2407.
  • Coyne, S. M., Radesky, J., Collier, K. M., Gentile, D. A., Linder, J. R., Nathanson, A. I., Rasmussen, E. E., Reich, S. M., & Rogers, J. (2017). Parenting and digital media. Pediatrics, 140(2), 112-116. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-1758N
  • Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design: qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches. CA: Sage Publications.
  • Daneels, R., & Vanwynsberghe, H. (2017). Mediating social media use: connecting parents mediation strategies and social media literacy. Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberpspace.-Brno, 11(3), 5. https://doi.org/10.5817/CP2017-3-5
  • Darga, H. (2021). Anasınıfına devam eden 5-6 yaş grubu çocukların evlerinde oynadıkları dijital oyunların ve ebeveynlerin davranışlarının belirlenmesi [Digital games played at home by 5-6 year old children attending kindergarten and determining parents' behaviors] Journal of Computer and Education Research, 9 (17), 447-479. DOI: 10.18009/jcer.876987.
  • Dias, P., & Brito, R. (2020). How families with young children are solving the dilemma between privacy and protection by building trust-A portrait from Portugal. Journal of Children and Media, 14(1), 56-73. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482798.2019.1694552
  • İnan-Kaya, G., Mutlu-Bayraktar, D., & Yılmaz, Ö. (2018). Digital parenting attitude scale: validity and reliability study. Mehmet Akif Ersoy University Faculty of Education Journal, 46, 149-173. https://doi.org/10.21764/maeuefd.390626
  • Katz, V. S., Moran, M. B., & Gonzalez, C. (2018). Connecting with technology in lower-income US families. New Media & Society, 20(7), 2509-2533.
  • Katz, V. S., Moran, M. B., & Ognyanova, K. (2019). Contextualizing connectivity: how internet connection type and parental factors influence technology use among lower-income children. Information, Communication & Society, 22(3), 313-335.
  • Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Beverly Hills. Sage.
  • Livingstone, S., & Helsper, E. J. (2008). Parental mediation of children's internet use. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 52(4), 581-599.
  • Livingstone, S., Ólafsson, K., Helsper, E. J., Lupiáñez-Villanueva, F., Veltri, G. A., & Folkvord, F. (2017). Maximizing opportunities and minimizing risks for children online: The role of digital skills in emerging strategies of parental mediation. Journal of Communication, 67(1), 82-105. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcom.12277
  • Nathanson, A. I. (2015). Media and the family: Reflections and future directions. Journal of Children and Media, 9(1), 133-139. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482798.2015.997145
  • Nevski, E., & Siibak, A. (2016). The role of parents and parental mediation on 0–3-year olds’ digital play with smart devices: Estonian parents’ attitudes and practices. Early Years, 36(3), 227-241. https://doi.org/10.1080/09575146.2016.1161601
  • Nikken, P., & de Haan, J. (2015). Guiding young children’s internet use at home: Problems that parents experience in their parental mediation and the need for parenting support. Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.5817/CP2015-1-3
  • Nikken, P., & Jansz, J. (2014). Developing scales to measure parental mediation of young children's internet use. Learning, Media and Technology, 39(2), 250-266. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2013.782038
  • Nikken, P., & Opree, S. J. (2018). Guiding young children’s digital media use: SES-differences in mediation concerns and competence. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 27(6), 1844-1857. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-018-1018-3
  • Padilla-Walker, L. M., Coyne, S. M., Fraser, A. M., Dyer, W. J., & Yorgason, J. B. (2012). Parents and adolescents growing up in the digital age: Latent growth curve analysis of proactive media monitoring. Journal of Adolescence, 35(5), 1153-1165.
  • Polat, S., & Ay, O. (2016). Meta-Sentez: Kavramsal bir çözümleme [Meta-synthesis: A conceptual analysis. Journal of Qualitative Research in Education, 4(2), 52-64.
  • Ramos-Soler, I., López-Sánchez, C., & Torrecillas-Lacave, T. (2018). Online risk perception in young people and its effects on digital behaviour. Comunicar Media Education Research Journal, 26(2), 71-79. https://www.scipedia.com/public/Ramos-Soler_et_al_2018a
  • Rodríguez-de-Dios, I., van Oosten, J. M., & Igartua, J. J. (2018). A study of the relationship between parental mediation and adolescents’ digital skills, online risks and online opportunities. Computers in Human Behavior, 82, 186-198.
  • Sandelowski, M., Docherty, S., & Emden, C. (1997). Qualitative metasynthesis: Issues and techniques. Research in Nursing & Health, 20(4), 365-371.
  • Sharts-Hopko, N. C. (2002). Assessing rigor in qualitative research. Journal of the Association of Nurses in Aids Care, 13(4), 84-86. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1055-3290(06)60374-9
  • Shenton, A. K. (2004). Strategies for ensuring trustworthiness in qualitative research projects. Education for Information, 22(2), 63-75. https://doi.org/10.3233/EFI-2004-22201
  • Smahel, D., & Wright, M. F. (2014). The meaning of online problematic situations for children: results of qualitative cross-cultural investigation in nine European countries. London: EU Kids Online, LSE.
  • Smahelova, M., Juhová, D., Cermak, I., & Smahel, D. (2017). Mediation of young children’s digital technology use: The parents’ perspective. Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, 11(3), 4. https://doi.org/10.5817/CP2017-3-4
  • Symons, K., Ponnet, K., Emmery, K., Walrave, M., & Heirman, W. (2017). A factorial validation of parental mediation strategies with regard to internet use. Psychologica Belgica, 57(2), 93-111. http://doi.org/10.5334/pb.372
  • Talves, K., & Kalmus, V. (2015). Gendered mediation of children’s internet use: A keyhole for looking into changing socialization practices. Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, 9(1), 4. https://doi.org/10.5817/CP2015-1-4
  • Tennakoon, H., Saridakis, G., & Mohammed, A. M. (2018). Child online safety and parental intervention: a study of Sri Lankan internet users. Information Technology & People, 31(3), 770-790. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-09-2016-0213
  • Van Kruistum, C., & Van Steensel, R. (2017). The tacit dimension of parental mediation. Cyberpsychology, 11(3). https://doi.org/10.5817/CP2017-3-3
  • Van Petegem, S., de Ferrerre, E., Soenens, B., van Rooij, A. J., & Van Looy, J. (2019). Parents’ degree and style of restrictive mediation of young children’s digital gaming: Associations with parental attitudes and perceived child adjustment. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 28(5), 1379-1391. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-019-01368-x
  • Yıldırım, A., & Şimşek, H. (2018). Qualitative research methods in the social sciences. (11. Edition). Seçkin Yayıncılık.
  • Yıldırım, Y. (2018). The bedside book of 21st century parents is raising children in digital culture. (1. Edition). YER: Nisan Publication.
  • Young, R., & Tully, M. (2019). ‘Nobody wants the parents involved’: Social norms in parent and adolescent responses to cyberbullying. Journal of Youth Studies, 22(6), 856-872
  • Zaman, B., Nouwen, M., Vanattenhoven, J., De Ferrerre, E., & Looy, J. V. (2016). A qualitative inquiry into the contextualized parental mediation practices of young children’s digital media use at home. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 60(1), 1-22.
  • Zimmer, L. (2006). Qualitative meta‐synthesis: a question of dialoguing with texts. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 53(3), 311-318. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2006.03721.x
Journal of Computer and Education Research-Cover
  • Yayın Aralığı: Yılda 2 Sayı
  • Başlangıç: 2013
  • Yayıncı: Tamer KUTLUCA