A Qualitative Analysis of Parental Mediation of Children’s Digital Technology Use in Croatia

ABSTRACT

This research explores children’s and parents’ perceptions of parental mediation strategies of children’s digital technology (DT) use. The sample consists of 31 parents and 30 children (ages 9 to 14; average age is 11) who participated in focus groups. The results of focus groups with parents and children showed that they recognize four similar types of strategies with slight differences. Children often do not recognize clear rules about DT use. Active mediation is perceived by children as co-use, while parents usually talk about the consequences of DT use and highlight balancing with other activities. Without a prepared media plan, parents describe mediation as “a struggle.” The findings point to mediation being “a dynamic process” with children as active agents.

Acknowledgments

We would like to express our gratitude to the parents and children who participated in our research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work has been supported by the Croatian Science Foundation under the project “Digital technology in the family: patterns of behaviour and effects on child development” [UIP-2019-04-7547]

Notes on contributors

Marina Kotrla Topić

Marina Kotrla Topić, PhD. She is a senior research associate at the Ivo Pilar Institute of Social Sciences. She has obtained her PhD in 2012 at the University of Zagreb. Her research interests include early cognitive development, research on the use of digital media in children in early and middle childhood, and research on the reading from the screens of digital devices. She was a member of the Steering Committee of two COST actions, an associate member of several projects in Croatia and abroad, and she was a leader of one research project. She is the editor of five conference proceedings, and independently or in co-authorship has published 25 scientific papers and four chapters in books. She has participated in international conferences with 50 presentations, and in domestic scientific and professional conferences with two presentations. She was a member of the program-organizing committees of four scientific-professional conferences, two of which were international. She is a member of the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development (ISSBD), the European Association for Developmental Psychology (EADP), and the Croatian Psychological Chamber.

Katarina Perić Pavišić

Katarina Perić Pavišić, MS Psychology. She is a doctoral student at the postgraduate doctoral study of Prevention Science at the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Zagreb. She is currently employed at the Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, where she has acquired the title of assistant associate. As an external associate, she participates in the teaching of four subjects at the Catholic University of Croatia. She has actively and passively participated in several international and domestic conferences. She has published three papers in conference proceedings and four papers in a journal. She was a member of the organizing committee of the 3rd International Scientific Conference of the Department of Psychology of the Catholic University of Croatia and is currently on the organizing committee of one international scientific conference. She is a member of the European Association for Research on Adolescence (EARA), the European Society for Prevention Research (EUSPR), the European Public Health Association (EUPHA), and the Croatian Psychological Chamber.

Marina Merkaš

Marina Merkaš, PhD. She has obtained her PhD in family relationships and children’s social competence (2012) at the University of Zagreb. So far, she has published 24 papers in journals, three papers in conference proceedings, one book chapter, two monographs and two scientific research reports, independently or in co-authorship. She edited the book of abstracts from one conference and has participated with 59 presentations at the national and international conferences and was the moderator of two symposiums at the conferences. She has participated in the implementation of 14 projects funded from various sources, she was the leader of one research project, and currently is a leader of one research project. She teaches developmental psychology at the Catholic University of Croatia. She was the president of the Program Committee of the 1st International Scientific Conference of the Department of Psychology at the Catholic University of Croatia. She is a member of domestic and international associations, reviews papers for domestic and foreign journals and is a member of the editorial board of two journals.