Guiding Young Children\u2019s Digital Media Use: SES-Differences in Mediation Concerns and Competence

Peter Nikken,Suzanna J Opree

doi:10.1007/s10826-018-1018-3

Abstract

Previous research about parents’ mediation of their young children’s (digital) media use has predominantly focused on the different types, determinants, and effectiveness of parental mediation strategies. Although research on parents’ perceived mediation concerns and competences is scarce, it is known that, compared to mothers and high-educated parents, fathers and low-educated parents experience greater insecurity (i.e., higher concern and lower competence) when applying media mediation. Based on Bourdieu’s theory of social capital it may be expected that—in addition to educational level—marital status and family income predict parents’ perceived mediation concerns and competences: Family demographics may predict parents’ media proficiency and adoption of new media technologies and these media ecological factors may, in turn, affect perceived concerns and competences. To test this assumption, survey data were collected among 1029 parents of children between the ages of 1 to 9 years. We found that parents’ basic media proficiency was lower in low income, low educated, and single-parent families, whereas parents’ advanced media proficiency was only lower in low educated and single-parent families. As expected, parents’ ease of active co-use was positively associated with parents’ basic proficiency, ease of restrictive mediation by basic and advanced proficiency, and ease of imposing technical restrictions by advanced media proficiency. Parents’ perceived mediation concerns were, however, unrelated to parents’ media proficiency. Also, as expected, low educated parents were less inclined to adopt new media technologies. Adoption of new media was negatively related to perceived mediation concerns, yet did not predict parents’ perceived competence.

Highlights

Notwithstanding a long tradition in research on parents’ guidance of their children’s media use—focusing on the types, determinants, and effectiveness of parental mediation —we still need more knowledge about parents’ mediation experiences: To what extent do parents have concerns about their mediation practices; how difficult is it for parents to apply media mediation; and which parents experience the greatest concerns and lowest competence and are
Entails the mere creation of the child’s media-ecology by acquiring and locating devices at home, as well as applying various practices on their children’s media use. These practices can be divided into restrictive mediation, active mediation, co-use, supervision, monitoring, and the use of technical restrictions
H1a proposed that there would be fewer media devices in low income compared to high income families

Summary

Introduction

Notwithstanding a long tradition in research on parents’ guidance of their children’s media use—focusing on the types, determinants, and effectiveness of parental mediation —we still need more knowledge about parents’ mediation experiences: To what extent do parents have concerns about their mediation practices; how difficult is it for parents to apply media mediation; and which parents experience the greatest concerns and lowest competence and are, Parental mediation consists of all practices by which parents mold and regulate their children’s use of the media, Journal of Child and Family Studies (2018) 27:1844–1857 or as Warren (2001) stated ‘any strategy parents use to control, supervise or interpret media content for children’ (p. 212). Entails the mere creation of the child’s media-ecology by acquiring and locating devices at home, as well as applying various practices on their children’s media use. These practices can be divided into restrictive mediation, active mediation, co-use, supervision, monitoring, and the use of technical restrictions (see Nikken and Jansz 2014; Zaman et al 2016). Characteristics of the parents, the children and the family, as well as the parents’ views on the role of media for their child’s development and well-being are important factors for these differences between parents (e.g., Lauricella et al 2015; Nikken and Schols 2015). An overt communication style (i.e., an open exchange of information among family members), for example, increases a parent’s engagement in media related discussions with their children too (Fujioka and Austin 2002; Warren et al 2002)

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Conclusion