Getting involved : an interview study on parental control, trust and involvement when mediating children’s online safety

Abstract

Children today are growing up with the internet and they are learning online safety skills while growing up. Parents are caught up in a balancing act, where they are required to ensure their child can learn to be a responsible internet user that makes smart decisions, while being protected by the threats the internet poses. Previous research has found a discourse of control, trust, and involvement to center around parental mediation strategies. This thesis examines parents’ views in the Oulu area on their children’s internet safety revolving around the discourses of control, trust and involvement. In order to receive rich and in-depth data, a qualitative research method with semi-structured interviews was applied in this study.

Results showed that parents alternate between controlling their children, trusting them, and being involved in their online use. Involvement through active mediation, such as continuous discussions and co-use, was found to be the most dominant strategy for online protection among parents.