Deconstructing the Parent–Child Relationship during the COVID-19 Pandemic through Tech-Wise Outlets Such as the Internet and Media Consumption

Abstract

Undoubtedly, technological developments in modern society have accelerated since the COVID-19 epidemic. When social distancing was required, technology and the Internet made it easier for adults and children to communicate. Nevertheless, it is generally recognized that social isolation can result in social network addiction. Consequently, family ties including those between parents and children evolved, as parents tried to blend their jobs and personal lives while also becoming teachers, babysitters, and playdate hosts. No studies have looked at how the lockdown has affected these relationships. Therefore, the current study aims to investigate how parenting, media consumption, and the use of constant technology can affect parent–child relationships. Toward this aim, a structural equation model (SEM) incorporating three parenting styles (permissive, authoritative, neglectful, and authoritarian) was then run. The model displayed excellent fit for adoption. Technology use was thusly predicted by the interaction between parents and children, which successively predicted the relationship between children and school. Hence, a positive relationship between permissive parenting style and family relationships with technology emerged. The new study helps us understand how family relationships, as well as technology and education attitudes, have changed through time.