Parental Co-viewing Research Articles

Effects of Food Depictions in Entertainment Media on Children's Unhealthy Food Preferences: Content Analysis Linked With Panel Data.

Entertainment media content is often mentioned as one of the roots of children's unhealthy food consumption. This might be due to the high quantity of unhealthy foods presented in children's media environments. However, less is known about the role of the centrality of food placement, that is, whether foods are interacted with, consumed, verbally mentioned, or appear unobtrusively. We also lack longitudinal research measuring both children's unhealthy and healthy food consumption behaviors as outcomes. The aim is to connect content analytical data based on children's actual media diet with panel data in order to explain children's food preferences. Moreover, this study not only focuses on the amount of healthy and unhealthy foods children are exposed to, but also on how these foods are presented (ie, centrally or not). Furthermore, we looked at the question of how parental coviewing can diminish (or enhance) the effects of unhealthy (or healthy) food depictions, and we measured healthy and unhealthy consumption as dependent variables. We conducted a 2-wave panel study with children and one of their parents (of 2250 parents contacted, 829 responded, for a response rate of 36.84%; 648 valid cases, ie, parent-child pairs, were used for analysis), with 6 months between the 2 panel waves. We linked the 2-wave panel data for the children and their parents to content analytical data for movies (n=113) and TV series (n=134; 3 randomly chosen episodes per TV series were used) that children were exposed to over the course of 6 months. There was no significant relationship between exposure to unhealthy food presentation and unhealthy (b=0.008; P=.07) or healthy (b=-0.003; P=.57) food consumption over time. Also, healthy food presentation was unrelated to unhealthy (b=0.009; P=.18) or healthy (b=0.000; P=.99) food consumption over time. However, there was a significant, positive interaction between unhealthy food presentation and presentation centrality on unhealthy food consumption (b=0.000; P=.03), suggesting that the effects of unhealthy food presentation rise with increasing levels of centrality. There was no interaction between unhealthy food presentation and presentation centrality on the consumption of healthy foods (b=0.000; P=.10). Also, exposure to healthy food presentation interacted with centrality (b=-0.001; P=.003). That is, when a healthy product was presented at maximum centrality, it led to less unhealthy food consumption in children. Coviewing did not interact with exposure to unhealthy foods when explaining unhealthy (b=0.003; P=.08) or healthy (b=-0.001; P=.70) food consumption. We conclude that simply presenting more healthy foods is not sufficient to combat children's unhealthy food preferences. Further regulations may be necessary with respect to representations of unhealthy foods in children's media.

Evaluating the role of digital media in language development among pre-schoolers: An observational study

Background: Digital media consumption is prevalent among pre-schoolers, but its impact on language development remains unclear. Aims and Objectives: This study investigates the effects of different types of digital media on pre-school children’s language outcomes. Materials and Methods: A total of 100 pre-school-aged children (mean age 4.2±0.5 years; 51% male) were observed for 12 months. Digital media exposure was categorized into educational interactive, educational passive, and non-educational content, with average screen time being 1.5±0.45 h daily. Language development was assessed using the Preschool Language Scale-5 (PLS-5) at baseline and 12-month follow-up. Results: At the 12-month follow-up, the study participants exhibited an average Total Language Score (TLS) increase from 100±10 to 107±12. Interactive educational app users showed significant language improvements (TLS: 112±10; P<0.05), exceeding gains seen in passive educational (TLS: 104±10) and non-educational content users (TLS: 102±12). Vocabulary size, expressive language, and receptive language improvements were highest in the interactive group (20%, 15%, and 10%, respectively). Behavioral assessments indicated enhanced use of complex sentences and turn-taking skills in the interactive group. Parental co-viewing correlated with higher TLS gains across all groups, with the most pronounced benefit in the interactive group (9 points vs. 6 without co-viewing). Interactive app users also exhibited higher cognitive (40%) and emotional engagement. Conclusion: Our study emphasizes the positive influence of interactive educational apps on pre-schoolers’ language development, with notable gains and augmented outcomes through parental involvement. This highlights the value of guided media use in early childhood education.

How Parental Co-Viewing Can Reduce the Adverse Effects of Gadgets in Early Children

<p class="keywords"><em>This research is motivated by parents' concerns about the dangers posed by gadgets, parental co-viewing has been suggested as a way to prevent negative harm from gadgets. The purpose of this study was to determine parental co-viewing and involvement in the use of gadgets in reducing the dangers caused by gadgets. This study uses a qualitative method with a case study research design on three parents who have children aged 2-5 years. The data collection technique uses interviews and field notes which are then processed using grounded theory analysis techniques. The results of this study indicate that parents use parental co-viewing because through this parental mediation parents will know and supervise children's digital activities so that they can reduce the dangers of gadgets. In addition, this parental co-viewing also increases the closeness of parents with their children. Activities carried out by parents with their children are watching educational videos on the YouTube application and playing game on educational game applications. Parental Co-viewing can be a guide for parents to help early childhood to avoid the dangers posed by the device because parents can organize and know the content that will be accessed by their children.</em></p>

Marital Satisfaction, Family Functioning, and Children's Mental Health-The Effect of Parental Co-Viewing.

Using 318 household data concerning children during middle childhood (8–13), we examined the association among each parent’s marital satisfaction, the child’s perceived family functioning, and the child’s anxiety and depression. Second, we investigated whether the other parent could buffer or facilitate this chain effect by co-viewing programs via various devices with their child so as to improve the child’s perceived family functioning. Results verified the mediation effect that maternal marital satisfaction was positively associated with the child’s perceived family functioning, which, in turn, decreased the child’s depression. In addition, the results indicated that increased paternal co-viewing enhanced the positive association between maternal marital satisfaction and the child’s perceived family functioning and then decreased the child’s depression. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed within the framework of family systems theory, parental media interventions, and the different roles of the father and mother in family functionality.

How Media and Family Build Children's Persuasion Knowledge

ABSTRACTThe changing media landscape alters media use and advertising exposure, which impacts advertising literacy. We investigate socialization forces (media, family) on advertising persuasion knowledge in preschool children. Findings from in-depth interviews with 29 parent–child dyads revealed prevalent on-demand mobile media use with less live commercial TV viewing and parental co-viewing. Preschool children are exposed to fewer commercials in their home yet are still exposed to advertising messages outside the home, which parents view as having powerful, direct effects on their children. Our data reveal perceptions of children's coping effects, as well as parental strategies for addressing advertising for their children. Future research related to the nature of parents' persuasion knowledge and advertising literacy discussion among their children is advised.

Explaining parental coviewing: The role of social facilitation and arousal

ABSTRACTThis study explores the relationship between parental coviewing and children’s psychophysiological responses to television exposure within a framework of social facilitation. A total of 88 children aged 6–13 years and one of each of their parents participated in a 2 (presence or absence of the parent) × 2 (exciting or non-exciting TV content) between-subjects experiment. Results indicated that the presence of a coviewing parent was associated with an increase in children’s arousal (higher skin conductance levels) and cognitive resource allocation (lower heart rate), especially for younger children who came from homes where parental coviewing was a relatively frequent activity. These findings suggest that the mere presence of a coviewing parent is sufficient to alter children’s processing of television messages.

Parental mediation of adolescent media use and demographic factors as predictors of Kenyan high school students’ exposure to sexual content in television

Research in Western nations suggests that parents’ involvement in their children's media use can make a difference in how adolescents select, process and respond to sexual television messages. Little or no published research has investigated this issue in sub-Saharan Africa, even though adolescents and young adults remain among the groups at highest risk for HIV transmission. This study investigated the relationship between Kenyan adolescents’ level of exposure to sexual television content and their parents’ mediation of their television use. A cluster sample of 427 Nairobi public high school students was surveyed regarding parental mediation of their media use and their intake of sexual television content. Co-viewing with opposite sex friends was associated with higher intake of sexual TV content. This relationship was stronger among boarding school students than among day school students. Parental mediation and co-viewing variables predicted three times as much variance among boarding than among day school students.

Associations between socioeconomic position and correlates of sedentary behaviour among youth: a systematic review.

Existing research evidence indicates that children and adolescents of parents with a low socioeconomic position spend more time on sedentary behaviour than their counterparts. However, the mechanisms driving these differences remain poorly understood. The main aim of this systematic review was to summarize the evidence regarding the association between socioeconomic position and correlates of sedentary behaviour among youth (0-18 years) from developed countries. The literature search was conducted using MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL and PsycINFO. A total of 37 studies were included. All but three studies examined screen-based sedentary behaviours only. Methodological quality ranged from low to moderate. Education was the most commonly used indicator of socioeconomic position, followed by income. Socioeconomic position was inversely related to the presence of a TV in the child's bedroom, parental modelling for TV viewing, parental co-viewing and eating meals in front of the TV. We found no/indeterminate evidence for an association between socioeconomic position and rules and regulations about screen time. The findings suggest possible factors that could be targeted in future intervention studies to decrease screen-based sedentary behaviour in lower socioeconomic groups in particular.

Parental co-viewing and susceptibility for smoking and drinking in adolescents: An experimental pilot study

The current pilot study is the first experiment to examine whether parents are able to diminish the adverse influences of smoking and drinking depicted in movies through co-viewing. For this study, 99 adolescents (M = 12.82 years old; SD = .95; 38.8% boys) watched the 3D version of Titanic in the cinema. Through randomization, adolescents were invited to come with either a parent or a friend. After watching the movie, adolescents filled out a questionnaire that assessed their susceptibility for smoking and drinking and their social images concerning these behaviors. The findings revealed that adolescents who co-viewed the movie with their parents, compared to with their friends, were at the same or an even higher risk for future smoking or drinking after watching the movie. The findings also indicated that only a few parents communicated about smoking and drinking while watching the movie. Simply co-viewing might not be an effective way for parents to blunt the effect of smoking and drinking in movies. In addition to ensuring more caution when advising parents to simply co-view movies, the present findings encourage additional research on the impact of instructive mediation strategies.

Are sexual media exposure, parental restrictions on media use and co-viewing TV and DVDs with parents and friends associated with teenagers' early sexual behaviour?

Sexual content in teenagers' media diets is known to predict early sexual behaviour. Research on sexual content has not allowed for the social context of media use, which may affect selection and processing of content. This study investigated whether sexual media content and/or contextual factors (co-viewing, parental media restrictions) were associated with early sexual behaviour using 2251 14–15 year-olds from Scotland, UK. A third (n = 733) reported sexual intercourse. In multivariable analysis the likelihood of intercourse was lower with parental restriction of sexual media and same-sex peer co-viewing; but higher with mixed-sex peer co-viewing. Parental co-viewing, other parental restrictions on media and sexual film content exposure were not associated with intercourse. Findings suggest the context of media use may influence early sexual behaviour. Specific parental restrictions on sexual media may offer more protection against early sex than other restrictions or parental co-viewing. Further research is required to establish causal mechanisms.

Exposure to sexually explicit visual media and sexual debut at age 15

Background and aimsLongitudinal studies in the US have demonstrated associations between viewing sexually explicit media and early sexual initiation in adolescence. Protective effects of parental co-viewing and regulation of adolescents'...

Teens Surfing The Net: How Do They Learn To Protect Their Privacy?

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">This study invokes the consumer socialization process to investigate how teens develop knowledge of ‘privacy concern’ as it relates to protecting their privacy when using the Internet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The data in this study show a correlation between teens that are raised in homes where parents practice concept-oriented family communication and the development of privacy concern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The data also show a correlation between parental co-viewing of the Internet and the development of privacy concern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Finally, the date link peer communication with the development of privacy concern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Overall the date appear to show that discussion with parents and friends about Internet use is key to the development of adopting concern for protecting teens privacy when they use the Internet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></span></span></p>

Do parental co‐viewing and discussions mitigate TV‐induced fears in young children?

While excessive television viewing has been associated with negative outcomes in children's welfare, parental co-viewing has been suggested as an effective way to prevent these negative effects. The objective of the present study is to specify some social contexts of co-viewing and to assess whether co-viewing modifies the effects of media on children's TV-related fears. The study is based on a representative random sample of 331 children aged 5-6 years. It is based on parental reports of children's TV-related fears and family television viewing practices. Parental co-viewing and discussion of television programmes with the child were found to be associated with higher rates of children's TV-related fears, high television exposure in general and watching adults' television programmes. The association between TV-related fears and co-viewing remained significant even after controlling for gender, maternal education, family income and the quantity and quality of television viewing. Co-viewing and TV-related discussions increased the risk for TV-related fears nearly fourfold (adjusted odds ratio 3.92, 95% confidence interval 1.37-11.17 and adjusted odds ratio 3.31, 95% confidence interval 1.33-8.20, respectively). The findings suggest that co-viewing and discussing television programmes are more common in families where television exposure is high. Because both co-viewing and discussing television programmes were associated with higher fear scores regardless of the quantity and quality of television exposure, the research shows that in everyday life co-viewing may not be done in such a way that it leads to a reduction of children's fears. More studies are needed to explore the co-viewing practices of families in more detail.

Infants' Attention and Responsiveness to Television Increases With Prior Exposure and Parental Interaction

This study examined the relation between early television exposure and parental interaction style during infant‐directed television programs on 2 outcomes: infant looking time and infant responsiveness. By quasi‐experimental design half of the 12‐ to 18‐month‐old infants had prior exposure to the program content and the other half did not. Cluster analysis based on parental verbalizations revealed 3 types of parental coviewing style: high, medium, and low scaffold. Looking time was significantly higher for infants previously exposed to these videos than for those who were not. Infant looking time was also significantly higher, and infants responded more, when parents provided high levels of scaffolding in the form of questions and labels or descriptions. The results suggest that both prior exposure and parental style are associated with infant attention and responsiveness to television and have important implications for both parents and television producers.

Parental Rules and Monitoring of Children’s Movie Viewing Associated With Children’s Risk for Smoking and Drinking

Evidence suggests that media portrayals of tobacco and alcohol use are important predictors of adolescent smoking and drinking. We examined the role of parents in monitoring and limiting children's movie exposure and whether or not this was associated with a lower risk of adolescent smoking and drinking. We surveyed 2606 child-parent dyads between 2002 and 2003. We asked children (9-12 years of age) how often their parents engaged in specific behaviors to monitor their movie viewing and if their parents allowed them to watch R-rated movies. We also surveyed children about parental monitoring of nonmedia-related behaviors. The primary outcomes were risk of smoking and drinking alcohol, defined by attitudinal susceptibility or early experimentation with either substance. Less than half (45.0%) the children were prohibited from watching R-rated movies. Of those who were allowed to watch R-rated movies, one third (34.7%) always viewed them with a parent and two thirds (65.3%) sometimes watched them without a parent. Less than 10% of the children reported that their parents consistently engaged in all 4 movie-monitoring behaviors. Even after controlling for parental monitoring of nonmedia-related behaviors and other covariates, children were at lower risk of smoking and drinking if their parents prohibited them from watching R-rated movies. Parental coviewing of R-rated movies was associated with a lower risk of child smoking but not drinking if parents consistently monitored what their children watched. Parental rules and monitoring of children's movie viewing may have a protective influence on children's risk for smoking and drinking, over and above parental monitoring of nonmedia related behaviors. This highlights a potential role for parents in preventing early initiation of tobacco and alcohol use among adolescents.

Identifying and Explaining the Relationship Between Parental Mediation and Children's Aggression

A survey of 394 parents and children in 2nd through 6th grades was conducted to explore the relations between parental mediation of violent television and children's generalized and TV-induced aggressive tendencies. In addition, explanations for why mediation is related to aggression were sought by exploring a number of intervening variables. It was found that parental active mediation and restrictive mediation were both negatively related to children's generalized and TV-induced aggressive inclinations, whereas parental coviewing was positively related to children's TV-induced aggressive tendencies. The data also revealed that parental mediation works by first influencing either how important children perceive violent TV to be or how much attention they grant this content, which, in turn, influences aggressive tendencies. Hence, parental mediation seems to socialize children into an orientation toward TV that makes them less vulnerable to negative effects.

Individuation and television coviewing in the family: Developmental trends in the viewing behavior of adolescents

This study tests the validity of two competing models of family coviewing. Trajectories of daily television viewing measured with people meters over a 3‐year period were analyzed using time‐series methods. The findings show that current models of coviewing are in need of refinement. The proposed expansion by a longitudinal perspective allows for differential predictions about age‐related trends in adolescent viewing behavior in relation to parental coviewing patterns.