Attitudes towards Regulation of Children’s Smartphone Use and Analysis of Legislation: A Mixed-Method Study
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Mackenzie Cato
Department
RCHSS – Communication & Media
Abstract
As technology rises, a shift in government is emerging with a substantial number of new laws regulating children’s smartphone use. The unprecedented nature of this change raises questions from parents and teachers about what this means. This study uses a mixed method approach to understand what this new legislation signifies, and the sentiment around it. Parents with children ages 9-14 were recruited using the snowball method and interviewed through semi-structured in-depth interviews. Using content analysis, online media such as government reports, news articles, and blog posts were studied. Both the interviews and textual analysis were coded for themes. Three themes emerged from within the parental interviews, (1) Doubt of effectiveness; (2) Support for involvement; (3) Expectations for regulation. Due to the nature of this legislation’s recency, very little research has been carried out. This study is the leading investigation into this topic, adding valuable insight to an otherwise under researched subject.
Disciplines
Education | Law | Psychology
Attitudes towards Regulation of Children’s Smartphone Use and Analysis of Legislation: A Mixed-Method Study
As technology rises, a shift in government is emerging with a substantial number of new laws regulating children’s smartphone use. The unprecedented nature of this change raises questions from parents and teachers about what this means. This study uses a mixed method approach to understand what this new legislation signifies, and the sentiment around it. Parents with children ages 9-14 were recruited using the snowball method and interviewed through semi-structured in-depth interviews. Using content analysis, online media such as government reports, news articles, and blog posts were studied. Both the interviews and textual analysis were coded for themes. Three themes emerged from within the parental interviews, (1) Doubt of effectiveness; (2) Support for involvement; (3) Expectations for regulation. Due to the nature of this legislation’s recency, very little research has been carried out. This study is the leading investigation into this topic, adding valuable insight to an otherwise under researched subject.