Raising iPad kids: Parents' rules and management strategies for children's mobile devices

Objective

The current study describes parents' mobile device management.

Background

Managing children's screen time has become a central parenting challenge. Past research has focused on time rules and has not been specific to mobile devices.

Method

This study surveyed 295 parents of children from first to fifth grade across the United States to describe mobile device rules and management strategies and compare differences across four rule types: time, content, context, and contingent rules.

Results

Mobile devices were children's primary source of screen time, and they spent more than 2 hours per day on them, not infrequently without a parent present. Only about half of parents had all three types of rules suggested by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and rules were not entirely specific or clear. The least common rule type was time rules, and parents reported less rule monitoring and implementation of time than the other rule types. Content rules were the most common, with high reported monitoring, enforcement, and consistency.

Conclusion

Parents employed a variety of management strategies to guide their children's mobile device use, differing slightly based on rule type.

Implications

The results of this study can help guide interventions for families so that parents can promote healthier screen-time habits.