While research on children’s screen use is growing, most of it has focused on how a child’s behavior and temperament influence how much time they spend on screens.
Yet far less attention has gone to parents’ role in children’s media use.
In 2024, the U.S. surgeon general identified parenting stress as a public health concern.
Researchers, clinicians and policymakers were called to action to better understand parents’ needs, with the goal of supporting them in raising children and maintaining a healthy family.
My partner’s older sister is Rasing 3 kids with a husband. the Husband works his ass off fixing trucks so the mom can afford to stay home. The trouble: they have a little one who is on the spectrum for sure and is displaying phychotic tendacies. (clinical not the arm chair/ gennralization) docs are not legally able to diagnose him with it because science has shown the brain has to develop. What sin did these parents do? Not a thing, no drugs, no booze, no crimes, just trying to make it work as a family. And the universe still said: here is a kid who has zero empathy. Sometimes the iPad is the only way to prevent him from tearing apart live bugs, hitting his sister (1.5 yrs) and hitting his younger brother (4mths). They go to therapy, they talk to professionals, they don’t get anything nice for themselves, everything they do is for them… And it’s still not enough.
They do limit what he sees, so they are aware of the content, thankfully it’s just floating carrots and instruments, but heven help us when that kid figures out how to get to regular YouTube.