Parenting in the connected home

Abstract

New media technologies are a source of anxiety and concern for many parents. In this paper, we report on the parent-child relationships that surround children's use of the Internet, television, video, DVD, and electronic games. We present three case-study vignettes drawn from an ongoing study of the contemporary Australian home as a node in dense local, regional, and global communication networks. Using these case studies, we identify and draw out some strategies and stances pursued by parents and children to manage their respective uses of new media technologies. We conclude with a discussion of the issues and concerns that surround parenting and new media technologies, noting that use of, and access to, new media technologies are both a site of contested and ongoing negotiation for parents and children, and an occasion for the negotiation of the parent-child relationship. This paper represents an extension and further exploration of issues addressed previously (Arnold, Shepherd, Gibbs, & Mecoles, 2006a, 2006b). Show more