Adolescents’ Online Risks and Opportunities: The Role of Digital Skills and Parental Mediation

• In Event: The Caregiver Context: When Parents and Teachers Matter

Abstract

With the advance of digital technologies, concerns about adolescents’ exposure to online risks and the importance of digital skills have been raised. In this context, it is essential to consider parents’ impact on the development of such skills and not to forget online opportunities. Therefore, this study examines the influence of parental mediation (active and restrictive) on adolescents’ digital skills, and the effect of such skills on their online opportunities and online risks behaviours. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1.446 secondary students in Spain. Structural equation modelling shows that adolescents with more digital skills experience more risks, but also take more opportunities. Moreover, active parental mediation has no influence on adolescents’ digital skills, whereas restrictive mediation reduces these skills, and as such lowers opportunities and risks too. The results emphasize the importance of promoting digital skills as they let adolescents take more online opportunities.

Authors

• Isabel Rodríguez-de-Dios, University of Salamanca

• Johanna M.F van Oosten, U of Amsterdam

• Juan Jose Igartua, U of Salamanca