Parents’ gatekeeper role in screen time control: a phenomenological study of parents’ lives

The abstract of a descriptive phenomenological study reports that parents of children aged 6 to 9 described managing screen time as an emotionally and socially complex role involving rules, supervision, negotiation and collaboration. Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 parents—11 women and seven men—across diverse regions of Turkey. Interviews averaged 34.5 minutes, and the researchers analyzed the transcripts using Phenomenological Thematic Analysis.

Four interrelated themes emerged. The first, “Digital Gatekeeping in the Digital Age,” described parents acting as “modern-day gatekeepers” by setting screen-time rules, supervising content and offering alternative activities. The second, “Emotional Battleground,” captured negotiations prompted by children’s resistance, tantrums and differences in rules among family members. The third, “Digital Double Bind,” represented parents’ efforts to protect children from cognitive, emotional and physical harm while also avoiding social exclusion. The fourth, “Authority Beyond the Home,” described schools and teachers serving as “strategic allies” who legitimized household rules and reinforced parental authority.

The study’s rigor procedures included bracketing, member checking, peer debriefing and an inter-coder agreement of 92%. Its findings indicate that digital parenting in this sample extended beyond controlling screen duration to include planning, emotional labor and coordination within the family. The abstract also concludes that managing screen time requires negotiation, planning and collaboration between families and schools, while identifying a need for systemic support for children’s self-regulation and conscious digital citizenship.

This was a qualitative study of parents’ reported experiences, not a trial of a screen-time intervention and not an analysis of children’s developmental outcomes. The sample was restricted to 18 parents of elementary school-aged children in Turkey, and the supplied evidence consists of the published abstract rather than the full article. The themes therefore describe the participants’ experiences and interpretations; the abstract does not establish that the reported strategies caused better health, behavior or educational outcomes, nor does it quantify the prevalence of those experiences in wider populations.

Subject of Research: Parents’ experiences managing screen time for children aged 6 to 9 in Turkey

Article Title: Parents’ gatekeeper role in screen time control: a phenomenological study of parents’ lives

Article References: Canpolat, M., & Sertkaya Fidan, B. (2026). Parents’ gatekeeper role in screen time control: a phenomenological study of parents’ lives. BMC Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-05774-x

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s40359-026-05774-x

Keywords: screen time, digital parenting, phenomenological study, parents, children aged 6–9, Turkey, thematic analysis, family negotiations, school collaboration, digital gatekeeping, gatekeeper, role