It takes two: the effect of child characteristics on U.S. parents’ motivations for allowing electronic media use

Abstract

Extant research on parents’ choices for child media consumption focuses exclusively on parental beliefs and motives along with demographic variables. However, given parental choices are made within the context of the parent–child relationship, this study investigates how perceived child characteristics influence parents’ motives for allowing their children to consume screen media. One hundred and fifty-one parents of children between 6 months and 6 years of age were surveyed regarding their beliefs and motives for using screen media for their child as well as their perceptions of their child’s temperaments as energetic or detached. Results revealed a child’s energetic temperament predicted parental media use motives beyond that of parental media beliefs in ways consistent with expected relational management goals. These results extend the uses and gratifications perspective by supporting the idea that media choices made within a relational context are best understood by considering both members within the relational dynamic.

Keywords:

• Parental media choice
• uses and gratifications
• personality
• screen media

Notes

1. Measures of perceived positive effects and concerns about electronic media use were also taken. However, they were unfortunately omitted from the initial electronic survey posting, resulting in only 110 participants responding to these items. Analyses including these variables indicate they behaved similarly to the educational media beliefs scales and the results are not meaningfully different when included in the analyses.