Browsing by Author "Hatakka, Enni"

Abstract Objectives. The use of electronic devices has increased notably in the past years. There is a growing body of research on the impact of electronic device use on many aspects of life, but it is only recently that studies have started to focus on the possible impact of parental electronic device use on parent-child interaction. The aim of this review is to study how the use of electronic devices affects the quality of parent-child interaction, based on recent research. Methods. This thesis is a literature review that consists of research published from 2010 onwards that study the effect of parental electronic device use on interaction between a parent and a less than 12-year-old child. The literature was collected from PubMed and Google Scholar. Results and conclusions. The use of electronic devices decreased the parent’s sensitivity, responsiveness, and cognitive as well as social-emotional growth fostering behavior in certain situations. The use of electronic devices often evoked negative, provocative behavior in the child, and passivity towards the parent. Many parents were aware of the possible negative impact of electronic device use on interaction, and they tried to regulate their device use in the presence of their child. The use of electronic devices in front of the child also caused feelings of guilt in the parents who considered their device use as excessive. Yet, many parents underevaluated the amount of their device use and its impact on their behavior. There has not been enough research on the subject to make any strong conclusions on how exactly the use of electronic devices affects parent-child interaction. Also, it is not known whether the impact of electronic device in interaction is unique or if there exists other types of distraction that has the same effect on the interaction between a parent and a child. In the future, it would be important to conduct longitudinal studies on the subject, in order to more precisely study the effect of electronic device use on interaction, on the attachment of the child, and generally on the wellbeing of the child.