Parental socialization of children's Internet use: A qualitative approach

This study explores how parents feel about the Internet and its impact on children, how they manage children's Internet use, and how they view the role of various socialization agents in creating a safer Internet environment for children. In-depth interviews with parents of children aged 7-12 revealed that parents presumed more positive than negative influence of the Internet on their children and felt confident about their ability to manage their children's Internet use. This high confidence in their own management, however, seemed to lead parents to be less engaged in purposeful and communication-based parental mediation and be less interested in updating their Internet knowledge. Nonetheless, they argued that parents should be actively engaged in communication with their children and be equipped with Internet knowledge to promote a safer online environment for children. Implications of the findings are discussed and suggestions for future research are provided.