In contemporary American households, grandparents play an increasingly influential role in children’s lives, often stepping in as part-time caregivers. Amid ongoing concerns from parents about elevated screen time among children, recent research from the University of Arizona sheds light on how this dynamic unfolds specifically between grandparents and their grandchildren. The findings reveal that nearly fifty percent of the time children spend with their grandparents involves screen-based media engagement, a significant data point with broad implications for family dynamics and child development.
While previous international studies have explored grandparental influence on children’s media habits, this research uniquely focuses on American families, providing a culturally specific analysis. Published in the Journal of Children and Media, the study probes into the complexities of media use during grandparental caregiving and maps the mediation strategies grandparents employ to guide those experiences. Cecilia Sada Garibay, the lead author and a communication graduate student, remarks that these insights help unravel the nuanced ways media consumption intersects with intergenerational relationships.
Sada Garibay’s personal observations as a mother were the catalyst for this exploration. Noticing differences in how her children interacted with media under the care of their grandmother compared to when she was present, she extended these observations through systematic research. The study highlights that understanding and engaging with media is critical not just for children but for grandparents as well, who may seek to co-view content or make sense of the digital environment shaping their grandchildren’s experiences.
The methodology centered on a survey of 350 grandparents across the United States who do not serve as primary caregivers but regularly supervise children aged 2 to 10 years. The sample featured a balanced gender distribution among grandparents with an average age of 55, while the grandchildren averaged around five years old. This demographic scope enabled an encompassing view of caregiving and media interaction behaviors across a broad population segment.
An examination of living arrangements revealed a diverse range of caregiving contexts. About a third of grandparents reported never living with their grandchildren, while others co-resided for varying durations, from several weeks a year to full-time. This variability underscores the flexible role grandparents play in contemporary family structures and invites consideration of how proximity may impact media supervision and mediation.
During their final caregiving session, participants recounted the number of hours grandchildren engaged with various media formats. This spectrum included passive viewing of television and movies, interactive video gaming, and active use of internet applications on handheld devices. The average child spent approximately half their time in grandparental care engaged with screens, underscoring the prevalence of digital media in daily routines.
The study delved into how grandparents manage this exposure using four distinct mediation strategies: supervision, instruction, restriction, and co-use. “Supervision” refers to observing and monitoring the child’s media activities, while “instruction” involves explaining or contextualizing media content. “Restriction” aims to limit media time or content access, and “co-use” describes shared media consumption. These differentiated approaches reveal layers of engagement that go beyond mere oversight.
Data showed supervision to be the most frequently employed strategy, reflecting a prevalent desire among grandparents to monitor rather than actively participate. Restriction was also common, particularly among grandparents with lower technological confidence. Conversely, co-use—engaging in media alongside grandchildren—was the least practiced strategy, possibly indicating generational divides in media affinity or skills. Instructional mediation was favored more by those with greater digital literacy and younger grandparents.
A notable finding was the digital divide influencing these mediation choices. Grandparents who rated themselves as more digitally competent tended to use proactive strategies such as co-use and instruction, fostering richer interactive experiences. Those with limited technological familiarity gravitated toward restrictive methods, sometimes potentially alienating children or creating enforcement challenges. This indicates that enhancing grandparents’ technological skills could improve mediation quality.
The gender dimension within caregiving also emerged as significant. Grandmothers were found to be more engaged in supervising and mediating media use than grandfathers. However, regardless of gender, technological comfort increased the likelihood of involved supervisory behavior. This highlights the intersectionality of gender and digital fluency as factors affecting the caregiving experience and media regulation.
Furthermore, the study examined relational outcomes concerning media use disagreements between grandparents and the children’s parents. Grandparents harboring negative perceptions about media were prone to increased conflicts with adult children over appropriate screen time or content. Interestingly, positive attitudes toward media did not predict disagreements but were linked to higher overall satisfaction in family relationships. This suggests that constructive views of media might foster smoother intergenerational communication.
The overarching conclusion emphasizes that media consumption forms an integral component of modern childhood experiences, with grandparents acting as key mediators whose approaches vary widely. Crucially, the research underscores the role of grandparents’ technological confidence in shaping these mediation strategies. Increasing digital literacy among grandparents could empower them with enhanced tools to manage media consumption effectively, promote engagement, and mitigate family tensions.
This research holds broad implications for designing educational programs and resources tailored to grandparents, enabling them to become adept navigators of children’s digital environments. In an era where screens pervade leisure and learning, equipping older generations with digital competencies ensures their active participation in children’s media experiences, nurturing healthier family interactions.
The study represents a significant stride in recognizing grandparents not merely as caregivers but as pivotal agents in the digital ecology of family media use. As technology continues to evolve rapidly, understanding and supporting grandparental mediation holds promise for fostering balanced media practices enhancing both child development and intergenerational bonds.
Subject of Research: People
Article Title: Grandparents and children’s media use in the USA: Screen time, mediation practices, and relationship outcomes
News Publication Date: 6-Apr-2025
Web References:
DOI Link
Keywords: Grandparents, Social media, Children, Discovery research, Caregivers, Time management, Interpersonal relationships, Communication skills
