Abstract
ObjectiveThe goal of the study was to explore the relationship between parent–children relationships related to using the internet among kids and potentially associated factors.Materials and MethodsA sample of 1.216 Vietnamese students between the ages of 12 and 18 agreed to participate in the cross-sectional online survey. Data collected included socioeconomic characteristics and internet use status of participants, their perceived changes in relationship and communication between parents and children since using the internet, and parental control toward the child’s internet use. An Ordered Logistic Regression was carried out to determine factors associated with parent–children relationship since using the internet.ResultsThe characteristics of the relationship between children and their parents since using the Internet were divided into three levels: deterioration (7.0%), stability (78.2%), and improvement (14.8%). The topics that children most often communicate with their parents include learning, housework, and future directions. Two-way interactive activities, such as supporting parents to use the Internet, have a positive impact on the parent–child relationship. Stubborn parental control, such as establishing rules about contact or allowing Internet access and setting up global positioning system (GPS) to track negatively affecting parent–child relationships.ConclusionFindings indicated that changes in the quality of the parent–child relationship were self-assessed by participants regard to kids’ internet use, especially in the COVID-19 epidemic context. Educational campaigns and programs to raise awareness of parents as to the dangers and negative influences that their children may encounter online, psychology of children’s behaviors and effects of different responding strategies are recommended.
Highlights
IntroductionUsing the internet has become one of the most popular leisuretime activities worldwide
Regarding parental management and care with internet use in children, higher score of some parent’s activities such as talking to children about what they do on the internet (OR = 1.71; 95%CI: 1.10; 2.66), helps children when something bothers them on the internet (OR = 2.23; 95%CI: 1.46; 3.39), and using technology to track where children are (OR = 6.92; 95%CI: 3.93; 12.16), rules about who children can contact (OR = 1.82; 95%CI: 1.24; 2.68)/when children are allowed to go online (OR = 1.93; 95%CI: 1.28; 2.93), and knows about what I look at on the internet were increased likelihood of having deteriorated relationships between parent and children
Having appropriate parental control strategies is essential in regulating health internet usage in children, avoiding the vicious cycle of negative control—impaired parent–child communication— deteriorated parent–child relationship—unmet psychological needs—more excessive internet use (Wang et al, 2007; Wang and Fredricks, 2014; Lam, 2020)
Summary
Using the internet has become one of the most popular leisuretime activities worldwide. 70.1% of the internet users in Vietnam were reported to be aged 13–34 (Digital 2021: Vietnam: Datareportal, 2021). The popularity of the internet among adolescents poses challenges to parents in protecting their children from excessive internet use and negative influences from the cyber world (Subrahmanyam et al, 2000; Greenfield, 2004). Excessive internet use may exhibit similar patterns and have similar negative consequences to the life of youths and adolescents compared to other addictive behaviors (Shapira et al, 2003; Young, 2004). From the parents’ perspective, the attachment of youths and adolescents to the internet may lead to the passivity in the young people’s daily activities, changes in their psychological states and behaviors, and negative effects on the quality of the parent–child relationship (van Den Eijnden et al, 2010; Shek et al, 2018; Restrepo et al, 2020; Li et al, 2021)
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