• health

• parenthood

Are the children following the app?

You're not alone

Children today own smartphones from the age of five, which means parents need to keep track of their activities.

This is why many - even the most permissive - install tracking apps.

The question is can they do this in a way that also builds trust with the child?

An Israeli study found an answer

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• parents

• Applications

• Education

Walla!

health

Sunday, 07 November 2021, 23:06 Updated: 23:08

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If once parents who used to follow their children through the smartphone were perceived as overly protective parents, today the situation is completely different.

A study conducted at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev examined parents' follow-up of their children using location-based applications.

With the help of analysis of parenting patterns, it appears that the phenomenon is now expanding to parenting styles that are defined as 'healthy'.

The article was published in the journal Mobile Media and Communication.

A variety of parental tracking apps for their children are now available on smartphones, simple to download and most even free.

A study conducted in the Department of Communication at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev examined the question of whether their use indicates us as parents who deny independence from their children or vice versa?

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To the full article

Dozens of in-depth interviews were conducted over the course of a year with mothers of teens ages 12-15.

The study flooded questions about the use of parental surveillance apps in a cultural and social context.

For example, describe their relationship with their children, defining ownership of the phone, family communication patterns, family approach to the whole use of media and so on.

The use has become widespread and thus also more dangerous.

Children surf the net (Photo: ShutterStock)

In the professional literature there are four main parenting styles: authoritative (considered an ideal style), tyrannical, permissive and negligent.

In recent years, other concepts have been coined that describe patterns of over-parenting, the most famous of which is "helicopter parenting" (excessive and unhealthy involvement in children's lives by parents who "constantly" hover over their children).

According to researchers, patterns of over-parenting have developed in response to parental risks and concerns, which are mainly disseminated in the media.

The findings of the study point to a normalization of parental follow-up in all parenting patterns and challenge the putative relationship between parental follow-up and strict parenting styles.

It turns out that the use of surveillance technology does not reflect a particular parenting ideology, but rather expresses the current reality and the widespread use of new technologies.

However, the findings of the study show that parents with a healthy (authoritative) style differ from parents with more rigid (tyrannical) styles in the way they conduct the routine of monitoring their children.

In other words, everyone follows, regardless of parenting style, and the question is how and to what extent the children are involved in the process.

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"Parents Tracking Digital become the norm in Western societies. Parenthood currently uses contemporary technological means to deal with risk situations and feelings of fear, in most cases, a loose grip on reality," said Dr. Avi Mrtziano- Gilbord conducted the research.

However, parents can make The moment the app is installed as an event that strengthens the independence of their children along with strengthening parental authority.

"If the app is installed with the consent of the parents and children on the terms of use, it will create a trust that is so important to the relationship."

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