Mechanisms of Parental supervision over children’s use of new screens

• Main Authors: Lic. José Antonio Gabelas Barroso, Dra. Carmen Marta Lazo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidad de La Laguna 2008-01-01
• Series: Revista Latina de Comunicación Social
• Subjects: children; adolescents; youngsters; multi-use; screens; television; Internet; videogames; cellular phones; habits; mediations; referents; parent guidance; feedback orientation : education through the media.
• Online Access: http://www.ull.es/publicaciones/latina/_2008/19_25_Zaragoza/Gabelas_y_Marta.html

New screens (the Internet, videogames and cell phones), together with traditional TV, conform a first-order socialising agent for kids, adolescents and youngsters. Given the wide range of contents displayed through these media, it seems reasonable to raise the question of whether the less experienced and infant users have access to any safe guidance in this field. This paper presents the results of a survey on parent control over how their children make use of these media. It particularly focuses on the specific motivations underlying the involvement of the youngest generations in their everyday contact with each specific interactive media and the impact that entertainment, education and information provided through the new screens has on the habitual user. Pivotal in this analysis is the parents’ concern about the contents and the frequency of their children’s exposure.