Maternal Media Beliefs Moderate the Relation Between Parenting Stress and Toddlers’ Screen Use

• In Event: Poster Session 02
  In Poster Session: PS 02 Topic - Technology, Media & Child Development

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased screen time in children (Moore et al., 2020). Even before the pandemic, American children under two years consume an average of 42 minutes of screen media per day (Rideout, 2017), inconsistent with the American Academy of Pediatrics’ guideline of no TV or entertainment screen media for this age group (AAP, 2016). Therefore, it is crucial to understand what factors influence parental decision making for toddlers’ screen use. Previous work suggests that parental stress and child screen use are positively related (Pempek & McDanial, 2016). However, it remains a question as to whether the relation between parental stress and screen use is moderated by parental beliefs about media. In this study, we investigated whether maternal media beliefs play a moderating role in how parenting stress influences toddlers’ screen media use.

Mothers of toddlers, 18-36 months (N = 296), completed an online survey, reporting parenting stress, maternal media beliefs, and child screen use. Mothers’ parenting stress was assessed using the Parenting Stress Index - Short Form 4th edition (Abidin, 2012), asking mothers to rate the degree of stress in parenting. Maternal media beliefs were reported by indicating whether they thought various screen media (e.g., TV, smartphone, tablet) have a positive or negative effect on child development, with a 5-point scale (very positive to very negative). Child screen use was measured as the frequency with which their child engaged in screen media activities, using a 10-point scale (has never done this to all the time). Mothers also reported child age, child sex, and family income.

Partial correlations, controlling for child age, child sex, and family income, revealed that toddlers’ screen use was positively associated with both maternal parenting stress, rs(291) = .31, p <.001, and media beliefs, rs(291) = .37, p <.001. Mothers who reported greater screen use in toddlers also reported higher parenting stress and more positive beliefs toward media. Next, a linear regression was used to examine the moderating role of parental media beliefs, controlling for child age, child sex, and family income. There was a significant interaction between parenting stress and parental media beliefs, b = 0.03, SE = 0.01, p = 0.013, indicating a moderating role of maternal media beliefs (see Figure 1). For mothers who reported neutral or positive beliefs about screen media, higher maternal parenting stress was positively associated with greater screen media use in toddlers. This association was not found among mothers who reported negative beliefs about screen media.

Our findings have implications for parental guidelines on toddler screen use. Higher maternal parenting stress was related to increased screen media use in toddlers, only for mothers who reported neutral or positive media beliefs. Thus, targeted recommendations and support may be needed for parents who use screen media to cope with parenting stress, with the beliefs that media experiences do not harm children. Providing these parents with strategies and resources to maximize the educational benefits and minimize the harms of screen media may help to provide healthy media environments for young children.

Authors

• Koeun Choi, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
  Presenting Author

• Jisun Kim, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Eunkyung Shin, Pennsylvania State University, University Park
  Non-Presenting Author

• Cynthia L. Smith, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
  Non-Presenting Author