Exploring the perception of parents on children’s screentime: a systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative studies

Abstract

Background Screentime (ST) has been increasingly pervasive in young children. Evidence suggests positive and negative effects of ST on children’s development. Parents play a crucial role in influencing their children’s ST. There is limited research consolidating the parental perceptions related to children’s ST. This review consolidates the evidence on the perception of parents on their children’s ST. Methods Six electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus, and ProQuest) were searched from their inception to September 2022. Critical appraisal was conducted using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) checklist. Data synthesis was performed using Sandelowski and Barroso’s approach. Results Twenty studies were included in this review, encapsulating the experiences of 1,311 parents. Three main themes with corresponding subthemes were identified: (1) Varied reasons behind ST; (2) Attitudes toward ST; and (3) Strategies and approaches to managing ST. Conclusion The findings highlighted the varied reasons parents promote ST. Parents reported their concerns and confusion about ST and shared some strategies and approaches for better ST. Future research is needed to develop and evaluate educational programs to ensure that parents understand the risks and benefits of ST and in turn, ensure the appropriate adoption of ST for their children. Impact In the digital era, parents’ attitudes towards screentime (ST) for their children are mixed. This review presents the dilemma parents face and their struggles with using optimal screen time for their children. This review provides up-to-date evidence on the parents’ confusion and concerns about ST as well as strategies and approaches used by the parents for better ST. There is an urgent need for evidence-based educational programs to enhance parental knowledge about ST so that they can ensure appropriate ST among children. Clinical trial registration PROSPERO Registration No. CRD42022356083.

Screen Time and Its Health Consequences in Children and Adolescents

“…The effects of ST on the development of children and adolescents have been identified by many research groups [6,9,44]. A team from Canada found that excessive ST has a negative impact on aspects of development [45], while other research findings [46] suggest that ST in children younger than 2 yo is associated with developmental delays, supporting the WHO guidelines.…”

“…This finding was moderated by the type of child-parent relationship, age, and country [55]. A review article by Chong SC et al studied what parents thought about their children's ST. Parents used DM as (i) a distraction for their children when they needed a break, (ii) an educational tool for their children (especially true for the interactive use of computers), and (iii) a reward or penalty system [44]. The last one has been documented as an RF for parentchild conflict [56].…”

“…According to the aforementioned review, parents had diverse opinions about the perception of their children's ST. They considered it as something essential and unavoidable or as something unsettling and possibly unnatural [44].…”

Parents’ Views on Quality Programmes for Children and the Risks and Benefits They Bring to Preschool Children’s Development and Learning

“…Apart from modelling the appropriate use of screens, parents can additionally prevent undesirable effects and encourage positive ones by choosing a quality content as well as by active mediation in the child's screen usage (Nathanson, 2001;Nichols, 2022;Skubic, 2018). Although the positive and negative effects of screen use on children's development have been established in several studies, there is a lack of research on the content children are exposed to on screens (Li et al, 2020), as well as on parents' perceptions of their children's screen exposure (Chong et al, 2023). As parents play a very important role in choosing the content viewed by young children, guiding them in the process of viewing and developing their healthy viewing habits (Ponti, 2023;Vintar Spreizter et al, 2021), our study focused on the perspective of parents.…”