Our research found that using devices had transcended them being used on special occasions and/or as a reward, and more a part of each and every day. Importantly, parents would often position screentime alongside another event, such as using their device to complete homework or using their device to engage in physical activity. Many parents […]
Should Parents and Grandparents Have the Same Digital Safety Rules?
Grandparents were mostly aware of any specific rules around technology use already put in place for their grandchildren. We found that grandparents would either attempt to follow the same digital safety approach taken by the child’s parent. Many grandparents also often had their own digital safety rules when looking after their grandchildren, sometimes meaning that […]
Different Parenting Styles on Digital Platforms
Whilst everybody’s approach to mediating their child’s technology use is different, our research found that parents often fell into specific gendered roles, and that whilst this could sometimes cause conflict in some families, in other families it also allowed for parents to play to their strengths. In our findings, some parents admitted that it was […]
Focusing on eSafety not eCapabilities
Some grandparents were bothered by their limited digital capabilities or were sceptical to talk about the presence of digital technologies in today’s life. However, this does not stop them from being concerned about the grandchildren’s digital technologies behaviours when looking after them. Our research discovers that grandparents have limited understanding of eSafety due to their […]
Setting rules for technology use outside the family home
Our research found that grandparents aimed to mostly follow the rules children had at home regarding technology yet found it difficult to apply those rules 100%. Grandparents performed a range of different roles. The element of being ‘one step removed’ meant that grandparents would either attempt to emulate the approach taken by their own child, […]