Parental Mediation of Media Use and Effects

Abstract

Parental mediation refers to parents' efforts to monitor and regulate children's and adolescents' media use, as well as their comments and discussion about media content with their children. Mediation has nearly always assumed a purpose of preventing negative media effects. However, definitions of the concept have evolved as new media technologies have given children increasingly private and mobile access to media content. Within the family, a complex array of parent‐ and child‐related demographic, social, psychological, and other factors has been linked to parents' frequency of mediation. Parents and children often disagree about the amount of mediation or its meaning in their relationship, especially as children navigate adolescence. In this regard, parents face a dual challenge of adapting their mediation strategies to their developing child, while at the same time acknowledging the child's growing independence. Over three decades of research indicates that these strategies can be important in fostering healthier patterns of media use among children, as well as in the prevention of negative effects of an array of media content.

Towards more active parenting: Trends in parental mediation of children’s internet use in European countries

“…The differences and similarities in parental mediation amongst countries are, furthermore, at least partly based on parents’ online experiences and technological opportunities, which in turn are related to national wealth (Helsper et al, 2013; Talves & Kalmus, 2015). Moreover, parents adapt their mediation strategies to their perceptions of children's needs and online experiences (Warren, 2020). As a generalisation, we may say that the degree of the mediatisation of family as a socialising environment, evidenced by the intensity of children's and parents’ internet use, influences parental mediation.…”

“…These arguments may explain why parents’ and children's reports on parental mediation do not always line up. Parents report higher levels of mediation than do their children for all media platforms (Vaterlaus et al, 2014; Warren, 2020). For example, in a study comparing the reports from parents and children on parental mediation of children's video game playing, Nikken and Jansz (2006) found that parents and children systematically differed from each other in their perceptions of different types of mediation: parents claimed to mediate more than the children did, and the differences were largest for restrictive and active mediation.…”

Parental Mediation of Cell Phone Use and Adolescent Autonomy

“…The literature on parental mediation (Warren, 2020) suggests a rather linear trajectory-mediation reduced as children move toward adulthood. Several theories of relational communication, however, encourage the examination of mediation as a process by which parents and children manage the uncertainty of relational and role transitions.…”

“…Previous work demonstrated that parents’ levels of mediation are associated with characteristics of both the parents and children (Warren, 2020). Higher levels of mediation were identified among more educated parents, higher income parents, and parents who worked fewer hours outside of the home.…”

“…To date, literature on parental mediation of adolescents’ media use has not yielded a coherent theoretical framework. Clark (2011), for example, referred to “parental mediation theory” as a set of studies seeking to limit negative media effects on children, while other studies approached the phenomenon with atheoretical designs that investigate factors predicting parental mediation (Warren, 2020). Others in that literature (e.g., Valkenburg, Piotrowski, Hermanns, & DeLeeuw, 2013) have approached these shifting family relationships from a child development perspective that foregrounds adolescents’ need for autonomy.…”