The mothers, all heterosexual co-parents, intervened in their children’s use of technology and performed “intense, continuous, and carefree tasks that placed physical and emotional strain on the mothers.”
They put a lot of energy into children’s digital use, highlight the potential risks of online engagement, fraud and other dangers, and explain how children use computers and phones. We talked about establishing rules and boundaries.
There was another aspect to the effort. It negotiates the terms of children’s media access with partners who are either ambivalent about whether to allow their children to use social media or other technology, or who are permissive about children’s use of digital media. It was “to do.”
Overall, mothers try to stay informed about how their children are using screen time and are trying to raise their children to be “responsible digital citizens,” the analysis found.
Despite the frustration and effort involved in monitoring digital media use, many told researchers that they considered their phones a safe and focused way to stay in touch with their children. But this “digital umbilical cord” can also cause anxiety, as when children don’t respond to text messages, refuse to respond, or forget their cell phones.
“The increased use of digital devices is having a major impact on mothers in that they demand more time, energy, mental and cognitive work, and it is also having a significant impact on mothers’ career choices and paid work patterns. “It can have an impact,” says communication researcher and lecturer Faye Heaselgrave. The University of South Australia, which carried out the study, said in a news release. release.
Future research is needed to further understand how much unpaid and unrecognized time mothers spend providing digital care for their children, and what role this plays in parenting. she says.