Maximizing Opportunities and Minimizing Risks for Children Online: The Role of Digital Skills in Emerging Strategies of Parental Mediation

To examine parental mediation of children’s internet use, we surveyed parents of 6- to 14-year-olds in eight European countries (N=6,400). A factor analysis revealed two strategies. Enabling mediation differs from previous strategies for television viewing in incorporating parental safety efforts and in responding to child agency; it was associated with more online opportunities but also more risks. Restrictive mediation of internet use resembles parental strategies (and policy advice) for television viewing, being associated with fewer online risks or opportunities, and so sidelining parents’ investment in digital media to benefit their children. In selecting their approach, parents take into account both their and their children’s levels of digital skills, which has implications for digital inclusion and policies to guide parents.