Parents’ Beliefs, Attitudes and Behaviors Concerning their Young Children’s Screen Media Use

Abstract

Abstract

Recent research concerning young children's screen media experiences suggest that parental mediation with children during joint viewing enhances children’s attention and comprehension to program content.  Using a small sample of 21 parents of young children as a phenomenological case study, this paper explores parent's beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors regarding young children’s screen media use and exposure. Parents appear to value screen media as an educational tool for their children, and engage in coviewing with children.  However, parents report rarely utilizing screen media for teaching purposes. Parents also realize that some content may be inappropriate for their child to view, and yet most state they rarely discuss their child’s viewing habits with a primary care provider.  We discuss parents’ beliefs of screen media use with their young children in light of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendations and implications for children’s learning and development.