Modern Media Technologies

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Abstract
This research assesses the effects of modern media technologies on the parent-child
relationship whether positive or negative. Technological solutions are intended for improving the
quality of life on the planet by easing day to day tasks. Modern media technologies have
pervaded almost every aspect of the human experience today including behavior. This has
resulted in both desirable and undesirable impacts on the aspects of life that are affected by these
technologies. An apt example of an instance where the use of modern media technologies has
impacted profoundly is upon the parent-child relationship. The aim is to highlight possible
benefits and detriments which usage of these technologies has had within the household as far as
parent-child relationships. This study will be qualitative conducted through analysis of relevant
and recent literature due to the dynamic nature of this field of research, participant observation
and questionnaires will also be used. The study will also use snowballing to increase the scope of
literature used.
Theoretical Framework
The term parent-child relationship implies the bond between a care giver and the child. Parents
and children interact with one another in many ways including physically, socially and
emotionally (Valkenburg & Piotrowski, 2017). The relationship between parents and children is
important in shaping the character and life of the child and how they related with others. Albert
Bandura’s social learning theory focuses on the importance of observation and modeling
behaviors, attitudes and emotional reaction people through apprenticeship and learning (Bandura,
1977). The interaction between humans lead to the development of certain behaviors as
encouraged through cognitive, behavioral and environmental influences. The components of
observational learning include; Attention, Retention, Motor reproduction and Motivation

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(Bandura, 1977). It is through this that we find it important in the study as the children and
parents are both influenced by the use of modern media technologies to behavior in a certain
manner which can be positive or negative and eventually affects the parent-child relationship.
Problem Statement
In the present day, it is commonplace for children of between 3 to 12 years to be provided
technological gadgets such as tablets and smart-phones with disregard to how this may impact
upon the development of the child’s relationship with the parent (Ofcom, 2017). As a result,
there is deterioration of face to face interaction between parents and children as more children
and parents spend time on these technologies while eschewing the traditional family setup.
However, there are also benefits that come with the use of modern media technologies such as
communication which also builds relationships between parents and children (Tartari, 2015). By
highlighting the effects of these technologies, this study seeks to determine the effect on
relationships between parents and children as a result of using these technologies and possibly
contribute social interaction and to the growth of social sciences.
Hypothesis
H0- The use of modern media technologies has no significant effects on parent-child
relationships.
H1- The use of modern media technologies has significant effects on parent-child relationships.
Introduction
Modern media technologies use
Modern media technologies include television, smart phones, tablets and computers
(Valkenburg & Piotrowski, 2017). Their usage is primarily for entertainment and
communication. It is worth noting that the use of modern media technologies within the

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household has also had positive impacts according to Hook et al. (2018). Additionally, these
media technologies are used for communicative purposes and are especially convenient when the
person in question is not within close proximity – in cases of parents and children, this can
actually reinforce any existent positive relationships (Tartari, 2015). Distant families essentially
manage to maintain virtual presences through using these modern media technologies (Tartari,
2015). The ease with which family members can communicate due to usage of these media
technologies is also an indicator of their benefits – it is also worth noting that open
communication channels enabled by these technologies have served to augment the relationships
between parents and their children (Tartari, 2015). It is therefore evident that conservative or
proper use of these technologies can strengthen interpersonal ties among parents and children
thus fostering the familial relationship (Hook et al., 2018).
There is little research focusing on the relationship between modern media technologies
and parent-child relationship which is due in part to the dramatic changes in young people’s
media use and rapid changes in the media landscape (Valkenburg & Piotrowski, 2017).
Therefore, through this study we can find out the effects of modern media technologies use on
the parent-child relationship.
Modern media technologies influence
Yan (2018) states that the use of modern media technologies such as mobile phones has
contributed to transformations of day to day life within the twenty-first century. It is worth
noting that an estimated 99.7% of the entire human population is thought to be subscribed to
some form of mobile network provider (Yan, 2018). This phenomenon has resulted in the
emergence of a larger human mobile culture which is further split among adults and the youth
(Yan, 2018). It is the youth mobile culture which parents are concerned about as it is distracting

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of children as they are required to maintain a constant online presence since the adult culture is
relatively traditional except in cases of mobile addiction (Contreras, 2016). More specifically,
smart mobile phones have changed families’ lives through their multiple functionality as well as
personalized outlook (Contreras, 2016). They enable both children and adults to view images and
videos discreetly and this is especially important considering that they may access content that is
outside the confines of societal approval (Contreras, 2016). It is this discretion which can
plausibly contribute to friction within the parent-child relationship as the parent conversely seeks
to assert control over the child’s media use while using these technologies in the ways they do
not vouch for (Yan, 2018).
Parental restrictions affect parent-child relationship
Parent-child relationship is the bond and interaction between a child and the parent (Abar,
2015). It is very important for the child’s development. Fostering parent-child relationships lead
to the development of open relations between the two and a healthy relationship which ensure
that the child develops into a better socially responsible individual (Abar, 2015). Between the
ages of 3 and 12, it is plausible that usage of social media is still within the fledgling stages as
evidenced by most people this age having no online social media profiles (Ofcom, 2017).
According to Ofcom (2017), only 23% of people within this age group have active social media
profiles or online presences that they use regularly. Much of their media use is attributable to
playing games, watching television, or watching YouTube (Ofcom, 2017). It is also worth noting
that more people within this age group are going online compared to any other time in history
with increases of more than ten percentage points within the last two years (Ofcom, 2017).
Nevertheless, parental concerns remain due to increasing awareness of the potential dangers of
these modern media technologies and this has contributed immensely to the ruination of parent-

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child relationships in several households (Nikken & Schols, 2015). Parents’ perception of media
technologies is such that it pressures the children to present themselves in an idealized manner
(Nikken & Schols, 2015). Within this age group, tensions are primarily caused by parental
restrictions to use as growing sense of the self becomes more noticeable in the individual
according to Nikken and Schols (2015).
Modern media technology effect on children
Strasburger et al., (2010) point towards other effects of these media technologies as being
possible contributors to the deterioration of parent-child relationships. More specifically, they
cite increased aggression, disordered eating, and academic difficulties as possible consequences
of unregulated media use and causes of tension among parents and their children (Abar, 2015;
Strasburger et al., 2010). Between the ages of 3 and 12, the external environment contributes
greatly to learning and media technologies serve this role as well (Strasburger et al., 2010).
Children within this age group are susceptible to falling victim to advertisements and other
persuasive content on the internet thus highlighting the inherent danger which parents are
seemingly keen to avoid (Abar, 2015). These technologies influence both behavior and cognitive
activities on the part of the child and this may be in a way that the parent disapproves of – in this
way, the use of modern media technologies causes deterioration of parent-child relationships
(Strasburger et al., 2010). In general, parents are unlikely to tolerate any antisocial behaviors
from the child acquired through use of these technologies (Abar, 2015).
The use of these implements undoubtedly has an impact on the cognition and behavior of
children who are exposed to them at early ages and parents as well. The primary cause of
tensions among parents and children with regard to use of media technologies is difficulty in
finding a balance between strictness and a nurturing stance that is more accommodative. This is

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further convoluted by children perceiving their media use as private / personal and outside the
domains of conventional parenting. The technologies have a significant effect on parent-child
relationships which is why this research is important, to identify these problems and find
solutions currently society is experiencing a shift where by interaction with technology is more
valued than interpersonal interaction. Given that there has not been a systematic review of the
matter despite the many studies conducted, make this study stand out as it will bring together the
various studies conducted on the issue. The scientific relevance of this study is that it will
identify and fill part of the gaps in the literature concerning the effect of modern media
technologies on parent-child relationship and also provide a basis for further studies into the
issue. Additionally, the practical relevance of the study is that it will assist policy makers put in
place measures during various interventions both socially and economically. The question in this
review is as follows: How does the use of modern media technologies affect parent-child
relationships?
Method
The design of the research will be systematic review. We will use articles for this review
which will be accessed through searching databases of ‘PsychInfo’, ‘EBSCOhost’ and
‘SocINDEX’ as they have a wide variety of literature related to family studies. The keywords to
be used in searching for these literatures are ‘Parent-child relationships’, ‘Parenting in the
twenty-first century’, ‘Impacts of media technologies’, and ‘Behavioral outcomes of using media
technologies’. The main focus will be children of age group 3-12 years because this is the age
where the children have access to the modern media technologies and interaction between
parents and children is important for their development (Ofcom, 2017; Strasburger et al., 2010).
This study will examine the relationship between usage of modern media technologies and the

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parent-child relationship by analyzing relevant and recent literature due to the dynamic nature of
this field of research. Snowballing will also be used to further increase the scope of the study by
using referenced materials in the collect articles. The academic nature of this study necessitates
that these literatures are peer reviewed and rightly so. Assessment of whether the selected
literature meets the criteria for inclusion by checking for relevance will also be conducted. The
data obtained will be analyzed through content analysis of the literature collected and studied.
Participant observation will be used in environments consisting of parents and their children and
questionnaires will also be administered randomly to children and parents.

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References
Abar, C. C. (2018) “Relationships between parent-child social media interactions and health
behaviors”. Journal of Substance Use, Vol. 23(3)
Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. New York: General Learning Press.
Contreras, D. A. (2016). Distracted Parenting: How Social Media Affects Parent-Child.
Attachment. California State University
Hook, J. V., McHale, S. M. & King, V. (2018). Families and Technology. New York, NY:
Springer
Nikken, P. & Schols, M. (2015) “How and Why Parents Guide the Media Use of Young
Children”. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 24(11), 3423-3435
Ofcom. (2017). Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes Report
Strasburger, V. C., Jordan, A. B. & Donnerstein, E. (2010) “Health Effects of Media on Children
and Adolescents”. Pediatrics, 125, 756-767
Tartari, E. (2015) “Benefits and Risks of Children and Adolescents Using Social Media”.
European Scientific Journal, Vol. 11(13), 321-332
Valkenburg, P. M. & Piotrowski, J. T. (2017). Plugged in: How Media Attract and Affect Youth.
London, UK: Yale University Press
Yan, Z. (2018) “Child and Adolescent Use of Mobile Phones: An Unparalleled Complex
Developmental Phenomenon”. Child Development, Vol. 89, No.1, 5-16

Modern Media Technologies

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