A Qualitative Study on Children's Digital Media Use and Parents' Self-interest

Suzanne M Geurts; Ina M Koning; Helen Vossen; Regina J J M Van den Eijnden

doi:10.1007/s10826-021-02074-3

A Qualitative Study on Children's Digital Media Use and Parents' Self-interest

Suzanne M Geurts, Ina M Koning, Helen Vossen, Regina J J M Van den Eijnden

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

This qualitative study provides insight into the role of parents' self-interest in digital media use of children in different age groups. We conducted 31 semi-structured interviews with fathers/mothers of children aged 3-16 years who were recruited via targeted sampling. A deductive and inductive content analysis was applied. Results show that parents' self-interest in letting children use digital media includes being able to do other tasks without being bothered, having some me-time, managing children's behavior, avoiding discussions, having moments to use digital media themselves and spending quality-time together. In addition, we found that the manner in which parents let children use digital media out of self-interest seems to depend on age. With younger children, parents initiate digital media use or set times at which children are allowed to use digital media. With older children, parents use a passive manner by omitting restrictive responses to their children's media use. Current findings can be used to inform interventions aimed at reducing children's screen time.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2015-2026
Journal	Journal of Child and Family Studies
Volume	31
Issue number	7
Early online date	23 Sept 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-021-02074-3
Publication status	Published - Jul 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We thank the Youth Studies students that helped transcribing and coding the data. This manuscript is a revised and translated version of the previously published article in Dutch language (Geurts, S. M., De Bok, R., van den Eijnden, R. J. J. M., Vossen, H. G. M., & Koning, H. M. (2020). "Ze zijn lekker rustig achter een schermpje": Een kwalitatieve studie naar het digitaal mediagebruik van kinderen en het eigenbelang van ouders. Kind en adolescent, 41, 313-329. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12453-020-00240-w).

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).

Keywords

Children’s digital media use
Parents’ self-interest
Qualitative research

Access to Document

10.1007/s10826-021-02074-3Licence: CC BY

s10826-021-02074-3Final published version, 607 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{5d453ee9ec8749a287543dba1b1f1181,

title = "A Qualitative Study on Children's Digital Media Use and Parents' Self-interest",

abstract = "This qualitative study provides insight into the role of parents' self-interest in digital media use of children in different age groups. We conducted 31 semi-structured interviews with fathers/mothers of children aged 3-16 years who were recruited via targeted sampling. A deductive and inductive content analysis was applied. Results show that parents' self-interest in letting children use digital media includes being able to do other tasks without being bothered, having some me-time, managing children's behavior, avoiding discussions, having moments to use digital media themselves and spending quality-time together. In addition, we found that the manner in which parents let children use digital media out of self-interest seems to depend on age. With younger children, parents initiate digital media use or set times at which children are allowed to use digital media. With older children, parents use a passive manner by omitting restrictive responses to their children's media use. Current findings can be used to inform interventions aimed at reducing children's screen time.",

keywords = "Children{\textquoteright}s digital media use, Parents{\textquoteright} self-interest, Qualitative research",

author = "Geurts, {Suzanne M} and Koning, {Ina M} and Helen Vossen and {Van den Eijnden}, {Regina J J M}",

note = "Funding Information: We thank the Youth Studies students that helped transcribing and coding the data. This manuscript is a revised and translated version of the previously published article in Dutch language (Geurts, S. M., De Bok, R., van den Eijnden, R. J. J. M., Vossen, H. G. M., & Koning, H. M. (2020). {"}Ze zijn lekker rustig achter een schermpje{"}: Een kwalitatieve studie naar het digitaal mediagebruik van kinderen en het eigenbelang van ouders. Kind en adolescent, 41, 313-329. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12453-020-00240-w). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021, The Author(s).",

year = "2022",

month = jul,

doi = "10.1007/s10826-021-02074-3",

language = "English",

volume = "31",

pages = "2015--2026",

journal = "Journal of Child and Family Studies",

issn = "1062-1024",

publisher = "Springer New York",

number = "7",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - A Qualitative Study on Children's Digital Media Use and Parents' Self-interest

AU - Geurts, Suzanne M

AU - Koning, Ina M

AU - Vossen, Helen

AU - Van den Eijnden, Regina J J M

N1 - Funding Information: We thank the Youth Studies students that helped transcribing and coding the data. This manuscript is a revised and translated version of the previously published article in Dutch language (Geurts, S. M., De Bok, R., van den Eijnden, R. J. J. M., Vossen, H. G. M., & Koning, H. M. (2020). "Ze zijn lekker rustig achter een schermpje": Een kwalitatieve studie naar het digitaal mediagebruik van kinderen en het eigenbelang van ouders. Kind en adolescent, 41, 313-329. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12453-020-00240-w). Publisher Copyright: © 2021, The Author(s).

PY - 2022/7

Y1 - 2022/7

N2 - This qualitative study provides insight into the role of parents' self-interest in digital media use of children in different age groups. We conducted 31 semi-structured interviews with fathers/mothers of children aged 3-16 years who were recruited via targeted sampling. A deductive and inductive content analysis was applied. Results show that parents' self-interest in letting children use digital media includes being able to do other tasks without being bothered, having some me-time, managing children's behavior, avoiding discussions, having moments to use digital media themselves and spending quality-time together. In addition, we found that the manner in which parents let children use digital media out of self-interest seems to depend on age. With younger children, parents initiate digital media use or set times at which children are allowed to use digital media. With older children, parents use a passive manner by omitting restrictive responses to their children's media use. Current findings can be used to inform interventions aimed at reducing children's screen time.

AB - This qualitative study provides insight into the role of parents' self-interest in digital media use of children in different age groups. We conducted 31 semi-structured interviews with fathers/mothers of children aged 3-16 years who were recruited via targeted sampling. A deductive and inductive content analysis was applied. Results show that parents' self-interest in letting children use digital media includes being able to do other tasks without being bothered, having some me-time, managing children's behavior, avoiding discussions, having moments to use digital media themselves and spending quality-time together. In addition, we found that the manner in which parents let children use digital media out of self-interest seems to depend on age. With younger children, parents initiate digital media use or set times at which children are allowed to use digital media. With older children, parents use a passive manner by omitting restrictive responses to their children's media use. Current findings can be used to inform interventions aimed at reducing children's screen time.

KW - Children’s digital media use

KW - Parents’ self-interest

KW - Qualitative research

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85115692814&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s10826-021-02074-3

DO - 10.1007/s10826-021-02074-3

M3 - Article

C2 - 34580571

SN - 1062-1024

VL - 31

SP - 2015

EP - 2026

JO - Journal of Child and Family Studies

JF - Journal of Child and Family Studies

IS - 7

ER -

A Qualitative Study on Children's Digital Media Use and Parents' Self-interest

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this