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“You’re damned if you do, you’re damned if you don’t”: a qualitative exploration of parent motives for provision of mobile screen devices in early childhood
journal contribution
posted on 2023-02-10, 00:02 authored by Sumudu Mallawaarachchi, Merrilyn HooleyMerrilyn Hooley, W Sutherland-Smith, Sharon HorwoodSharon HorwoodAbstract
Background
Exploring parental motives for providing smartphones and tablets to young children is important to better understand ways to optimise healthy use of mobile screens in early childhood. To date, no study has qualitatively examined the factors underpinning parental motives of providing mobile screens to young children, using a theoretically driven approach.
Methods
We conducted 45 in-depth, semi structured online interviews with primary caregivers of toddlers and pre-schoolers from diverse family backgrounds who participated in a large online survey in Australia. Themes were generated from the transcribed interviews using template thematic analysis. The coding was completed deductively using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and data-driven induction.
Results
Participants consistently reported a spectrum of attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control aspects which drove their decision to provide or not provide a mobile screen device to their child. Five main descriptive themes were generated, guided by the TPB: (1) Convenience, connection, and non-traditional learning experience; (2) Negative behavioural consequences and potential activity displacement through mobile screens; (3) Influences of society and resources; (4) Managing and achieving a balance; (5) External challenges.
Conclusions
Overall, the findings demonstrated that parents experienced cognitive dissonance between their attitudes and behaviour, primarily from perceived behavioural control and subjective norms negating the influence of attitudes on their motives to provide a device. These insights offer important avenues for public health messaging and resources to better involve and support parents in decision-making relating to mobile screens in everyday lives of young children.
History
Journal
BMC Public HealthVolume
22Article number
ARTN 2011Location
EnglandPublisher DOI
ISSN
1471-2458eISSN
1471-2458Language
EnglishPublication classification
C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalIssue
1Publisher
BMCUsage metrics
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Keywords
Science & TechnologyLife Sciences & BiomedicinePublic, Environmental & Occupational HealthMobile device useMobile screen mediaEarly childhoodParentingScreen timeTECHNOLOGYTIMEPERSPECTIVESPERCEPTIONSMEDIATIONATTITUDESCHILDRENOLDSChild, PreschoolHumansParentsComputers, HandheldAttitudeSmartphoneMotivationClinical ResearchPediatricPublic Health and Health Services not elsewhere classified
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