Parent–child conflict about children’s tablet use: The role of parental mediation

Abstract

This study examined the relations of children’s tablet use and parents’ mediation of children’s tablet use with parent–child conflict about such use. A sample of 364 parents of children aged 2–10 years was used to investigate the relations. The results showed that children who spent more time using the tablet had more conflicts with their parents. Also, children who received high amounts of restrictive mediation had more conflicts with their parents about the tablet. Children who often co-used the tablet with their parents had less conflict, however. Significant two-way interactions indicated that while restrictive mediation increased the strength of the relationship between tablet use and conflict, co-use decreased the strength of the relationship.