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Dissertation research study that examined parents of preteens and the protectionist and empowerment Internet mediation and media literacy strategies they reported using to guide their child's use of the Internet. Parents' use of protectionist and empowerment strategies, their confidence level in enacting these strategies, their attitudes about efficacy of these strategies, and the relationship among their attitudes about children's use of the Internet to these areas were examined. The study used an online survey (N=236) of parents who have preteens with Internet access at home, and parent interviews from a sample of the survey respondents (N=40), to gather data from a nationwide sample of parents. Parents were asked questions about their use of, confidence in, and perceptions of effectiveness of protectionist and empowerment Internet mediation strategies, what topics related to Internet use they have discussed with their child, and overall their attitudes about the Internet and children. The survey results show that the majority of parents use a combination of protectionism and empowerment strategies, but more heavily use protectionist Internet mediation overall. Parents reported high confidence in using most of the strategies, with slightly less (but still notably high) confidence in using empowerment strategies. Even though parents reported feeling confident using empowerment strategies, they used them much less than protectionist strategies. Protectionist strategies were also ranked as more effective than empowerment ones. Parents' attitudes about the Internet were also associated with behaviors. Parents' level of comfort in using the Internet and computers was positively associated with their overall engagement in their preteens' Internet use, whether protectionism or empowerment. Parental attitude about the Internet being a good place for their child was associated with the likelihood to use protectionist strategies. However, parents who did not believe the Int

"According to a study scheduled for release on Friday, however, less than half the time that children age 2 to 10 spend watching or interacting with electronic screens is with what parents consider "educational" material. Most of that time is from watching television, with mobile devices contributing relatively little educational value."

In the popular press, much is made about how new digital technologies such as iPads and smartphones are revolutionizing family life. Children and parents alike now have a growing stream of new technological resources at their fingertips, offering increased opportunities for engagement, entertainment, and education. But while anecdotes about families and media abound, empirical evidence on national trends is much harder to come by. This study explores how parents are incorporating new digital technologies (iPads, smartphones) as well as older media platforms (TV, video games, and computers) into their family lives and parenting practices: * What does the family media and technology environment look like today? * How widely have mobile media technologies been adopted? Are they making parents' lives easier? * How does the role of newer technologies compare to that of "traditional" platforms like television, or to other technologies such as computers and video games? * How do parents use media and technology as a parenting tool, to help them get things done, or to educate their children? * What role do media and technology play in families' "together" time? * How do different parenting practices and parents' own levels of media and technology use affect the use patterns of children in the home? The study focuses on families with young children and explores what is actually happening in the lives of real families, from all walks of life. It is based on an extensive survey of a nationally representative sample of more than 2,300 parents of children from birth to eight years old. (The complete survey questionnaire and results are provided in the appendix.) The survey was informed by a series of four focus groups among parents of young children, conducted in California and Illinois. While parents' comments from the focus groups and from the survey are included throughout the report, the key findings a

Having an accurate understanding of the role of media in children's lives is essential for all of those concerned about promoting healthy child development: parents, educators, pediatricians, public health advocates, and policymakers, to name just a few. The purpose of this study is to provide publicly accessible, reliable data about media use among children ages 0 to 8, to help inform the efforts of all of those who are working to improve children's lives.

"Most parents are not all that worried about the role of technology in their children's lives. And they are more likely to rely on books and analog activities than digital devices to keep their children busy. Those are the conclusions of a new survey released this week.  Based on a nationally representative survey of more than 2,300 parents of children from birth to 8-years-old, the study examines how media is being incorporated into family life. We sat down with Alexis Lauricella, one of the study's coauthors to hear more. Lauricella is a research associate at Northwestern University's Center on Media and Human Development. Her work examines children's learning from media as well as parents' and teachers' attitudes toward media and how they use it with young children. "

"Did you read to your kids today? Did you park them in front of the television? Did you hand over your iPhone to keep them from whining at the grocery store? If so, you're not alone. A new study by Common Sense Media found that kids ages 0-8 spend an average of two hours a day with screen media like smartphones, video games, computers, television, and DVDs. And reading? They do that, too -- but not nearly as much as the other stuff."