Secondary mediation of children's media use: An exploration of mothers-grandmothers' mediation dynamic

Abstract

Attempts to shape children's media use by affecting other caregivers' mediation practices, defined here as “secondary mediation,” are a significant yet relatively undiscussed family dynamic. By investigating 267 dyads of the two primary caregivers in intergenerational families—mothers and grandmothers—the study presented in this article sheds light on the prevalence of secondary mediation, the factors predicting it, and its consequences. Our findings point to a considerable gap between the mothers and the grandmothers in reporting the existence of secondary mediation. Yet, they suggest that secondary mediation within these dyads depends on the relationship between the two generations, their level of education, their experience and comfort with the media used by the children, and the time the grandmothers spend caregiving for the grandchildren. These findings are interpreted in light of Maierhofer's ‘anocriticism’ approach, pointing to the need for further research.