BELIEFS OF CHILEAN MOTHERS ABOUT MOBILE TECHNOLOGY DEVICES IN PARENTING

Abstract

Currently, the use of mobile devices such as smartphones in the family sphere has increased rapidly, evidencing the need to investigate the dynamics in which children and their mothers participate when using these devices in parenting. The objective of this research was to explore the beliefs and practices of mothers regarding the use of mobile devices in raising children under 5 years of age. To do so, semi-structured interviews with narrative aspects were conducted with Chilean women between 22 and 37 years of age. The results indicate that they consider the cell phone as a device that helps them educate and gain free time, but they are concerned that it leads them to addictive behaviors; in addition to how vulnerable their children may be to cyberbullying and grooming, so the regulation of use is based on these concerns. They indicate that use is inevitable given the technological advance and how essential it is in this era, which invites the development of interventions focused on educating about regulation and redistributing the patriarchal parenting roles that surround these contexts.