Like Grandmother, Like Mother? Multigenerational Mediation of Young Children’s Media Use

Authors

  • Galit Nimrod Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
  • Nelly Elias Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
  • Dafna Lemish Interim Dean Distinguished Professor of Journalism and Media StudiesRutgers the State University of New Jersey,

Keywords:

children, grandparents, mediation, parents, media use, technology

Abstract

Research on the mediation of children’s media use tends to overlook the existence of several significant caregivers, who may apply different mediation practices. Based on a survey of 267 dyads of grandmothers and mothers of young children (aged 4–8 years old), the present study explored similarities and differences in grandparental and parental mediation. The findings indicated that grandmothers are generally less active mediators than mothers, especially when interactive media are used. Yet they pointed at significant variations among the dyads, because three clusters were identified: intensely mediating, slightly mediating, and generation gap dyads. These groups differed in education level, mastery of digital media, and family structure. The study adds to the mediation literature by proposing an intergenerational transmission of mediation attitudes and practices across the decades, independent of technological advances. It also points at possible obstacles to effective mediation, which may negatively affect the children’s development.

Author Biographies

Galit Nimrod, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Galit Nimrod, Ph.D., is a professor at the Department of Communication Studies and a research fellow at the Center for Multidisciplinary Research in Aging at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel.

Nelly Elias, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel

Associate Professor, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel

Dafna Lemish, Interim Dean Distinguished Professor of Journalism and Media StudiesRutgers the State University of New Jersey,

Interim DeanDistinguished Professor of Journalism and Media StudiesRutgers the State University of New Jersey,

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Published

2023-06-13

Issue

Section

Articles