The Effect of Teaching Time Management and Proper Use of Mobile Phones, Social Media and Cyberspace by Parents on Attachment Pattern, Children’s Behavioral Problems and the Rate of Internet Addiction in Parents

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of teaching time management and proper use of mobile phones, social media, and cyberspace by parents on attachment patterns, children’s behavioral problems, and the rate of internet addiction in parents of kindergarten children. The research method was quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. From all mothers of kindergarten children in district 2 of Tehran, 30 families were selected as a sample by multi-stage random sampling method. The research instruments included the Internet Addiction Test (IAT, Kimberly Young), the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL, Achenbach), and the Attachment Q-Set. Data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). The results showed that there was a significant difference between the scores of attachment pattern, children’s behavioral problems, and internet addiction of the experimental and control groups in the posttest. The training was effective in parents’ time management and proper use of mobile phones, social media, and cyberspace. It also improved attachment, reduced children’s behavioral problems, and reduced internet addiction in the parents of kindergarten children.