Because adolescents’ use of online media is a concern for parents, they often employ parental mediation strategies to mitigate potential risks (Reich et al., 2025). Common strategies include restrictive mediation (limiting time, content or activities) or active mediation (communicating about media experiences to promote comprehension und critical reflection). However, as adolescents strive for more autonomy, limiting online activities may be related to frequent disputes between parents and adolescents about online time or content, especially among boys and early adolescents (11–13 years). As adolescents get older (middle adolescence, 14–16 years), less restrictive mediation can be implemented, and parental mediation strategies generally decrease (Livingstone et al., 2017). However, research on the relationship between parental mediation and ICT disputes across adolescence is scarce, especially regarding longitudinal relationships. Therefore, we test the following hypotheses:

H1: Parents use more restrictive and active mediation and report more ICT disputes in early adolescents (11–13 years) compared to middle adolescents (14–16 years).

H2: Over time, there is a positive bidirectional relationship between ICT disputes and restrictive mediation (and to a lesser extent active mediation).

H3: The relationship between ICT disputes, restrictive mediation, and active mediation is stronger for early adolescents and boys.

In a four-wave longitudinal study over two years, Czech adolescents reported on their parents' mediation, and parents reported on mediation and ICT disputes via online questionnaires. The sample includes 2,933 adolescents and their caregivers, representative of Czech households with children.

In our study, we use random-intercept crossed-lagged-panel models (Hamaker et al., 2015) to distinguish between- and within-person effects, controlling for age and gender of the adolescents and of the parents. This allows us to distinguish between relationships based on differences between people and changes in constructs over time. Moderation of the longitudinal relationships are analyzed by multigroup analyzes (age groups and gender).

Parental awareness of adolescents’ daily activities is linked to adolescents’ positive psychosocial adjustment (Kerr et al., 2010). While there is a well-established line of research on parental knowledge about adolescents’ offline whereabouts and its predictors (Liu et al., 2020), less attention has been paid to knowledge about their online activities. Research shows this knowledge is often limited – parents underestimate the time adolescents spend online (Barlett & Fennel, 2018) as well as their engagement in risky activities (e.g., Geržičáková et al., 2023; Symons et al., 2017). Given that adolescents face both beneficial and adverse experiences online (Smahel et al., 2020), parental knowledge plays an important role in preventing harm and ensuring balanced ICT usage. Thus, it is important to understand what factors can contribute to increases or decreases in parents’ knowledge.

In this study, we examine the links between knowledge and parental mediation (i.e., strategies that parents utilize to regulate children’s ICT usage; Clark, 2011). Particularly, active mediation (that includes discussion with children) and monitoring (keeping an eye on what children do online) have the potential to increase parental knowledge. However, knowledge could also prompt changes in mediation - learning about a problematic online experience could, for instance, lead to increased restrictions.

To disentangle these bi-directional effects, we utilize data from a three-wave longitudinal survey of 2,500 Czech parents (T1 age M = 42.98, SD = 6.07, 63.96 % women) collected in 2021-22. Quotas ensured our sample represents the general population in terms of SES, region, and municipality size. Inspired by existing scales (e.g., Livingstone et al., 2011), we assess three types of parental mediation (active, restrictive, monitoring), and parental perceived knowledge (i.e., how much they feel they know about their children’s ICT usage). We analyze the data with a random-intercept cross-lagged panel model (Hamaker et al., 2015).

While digital media can pose risks for children, leveraging its benefits is crucial for those growing up in this digital age (Soyoof et al., 2024). Active parental media mediation (APMM), meaning parent-child discussions that foster critical thinking about media use (Nikken & Jansz, 2014), has the potential to minimize risks and maximize benefits from children’s media use (Valkenburg et al., 2013). Implementing effective APMM, such as autonomy-supportive strategies, requires parents to feel confident in their media skills and ability to guide children’s media use. However, parents might struggle to keep up with the digital environments their children navigate, as they have less expertise and experience with those digital platforms. Previous cross-sectional research highlighted self-efficacy's role in APMM and the potential of educational interventions to enhance it (Shin, 2018).

The present study consists of a field experiment to evaluate whether enhancing parents' self-efficacy perceptions through an interactive workshop fosters their use of APMM strategies. Parents of schoolchildren aged 3-13 will complete assessments on diverse parental media mediation strategies, self-efficacy, and digital skills at baseline and four months post-baseline. Participants in the experimental condition will attend a workshop organized by societal stakeholders concerning APMM two months after the baseline assessment. The control condition will not attend this workshop. Two months after the workshop, both conditions will complete a second survey. Analyses will compare outcomes from baseline to follow-up survey (within-person) and between the control and experimental condition (between-person). We expect that participants following the workshop will adopt more APPM (H1a), more autonomy-supportive strategies (H2a), and fewer inconsistent approaches (H3a) through self-efficacy levels (H1b, H2b, H3b), at the follow-up assessment and compared to the control condition. This study will advance the field by providing ecologically valid evidence on the effectiveness of APMM interventions in the form of workshops implemented by societal stakeholders.

Storytelling, for example from paper books, is a valuable way to teach children about social diversity and intergroup relations, allowing them to experience contact indirectly (i.e., vicariously) through observing others (Cameron & Rutland, 2006; Cocco et al., 2021). However, since children remain rather passive when stories are simply read aloud (which is usually the case with paper books), it seems reasonable to ask whether interactive media enhance the effects of vicarious contact on children’s perceptions of social diversity. As such, digital books offer their users an easy way to interact with a story’s content (e.g., by tapping “hotspots” that launch animations), moving beyond simply reproducing a story to actively involving the user and creating a more vivid experience (Furenes et al., 2021).

For this study, a picture book targeted at younger children was designed, manipulating interactivity to create both an interactive eBook (EG1: providing interactive features within the story) and a non-interactive eBook (EG2: providing only page turning). The story (identical in both conditions) is about the cross-group friendship of four children, who differ in race, religion, and gender. Both conditions are expected to positively impact, e.g., children’s behavioral intentions toward outgroup members. Additionally, interactive features are intended to enhance the story, for example by activating story-related information (Richter & Courage, 2017) and having a positive effect on children’s involvement and in turn their perceived enjoyment (Reinecke et al., 2011). Data is collected using, e.g., a feeling thermometer, which is easy to understand and engaging to use, especially for children. From the results of repeated measures (i.e., immediately before and after story reading) and mediation analyses (with, e.g., children’s contact intentions as dependent variables, and involvement and enjoyment as potential mediators) methodological factors will be discussed that may positively affect children’s perceptions of social diversity and intergroup relations.

Introduction.

Approximately 16% of women experience severe fear of birth (FOB) (Sanjari et al., 2021). Improving childbirth self-efficacy (CBSE) can help reduce FOB (Abdolalipour et al., 2023; Timmermans et al., 2019). Outside of therapy, pregnant women use online sources for information and childbirth preparation (Lanssens et al., 2022). Especially video-based platforms such as YouTube, are increasingly used to spread and seek health information (Prybutok, 2013; Stellefson et al., 2020). Here, there are two types of content creators of note: mommy influencers, whose content is about pregnancy and motherhood from the perspective of their own experience, and medfluencers, who are (para)medically trained professionals, such as obstetricians, midwives or doulas.

Building on childbirth education literature (Demirci et al., 2023), we hypothesize that exposure to medfluencer content can decrease FOB through increased CBSE by providing evidence-based information. Simultaneously, building on social cognitive theory (Bandura, 2009), we hypothesize that mommy influencers can serve as positive role models, thus also decreasing FOB via increased CBSE. Finally, building on the differential susceptibility to media effects model (Valkenburg & Peter, 2013), we also explore whether these associations differ between primiparous (i.e., first-time mothers) and multiparous women.

Method.

Longitudinal survey data are being collected from pregnant women in Sweden (Current n = 479 baseline). Women receive questions in two consecutive pregnancy trimesters. FOB (Haines et al., 2011) (2 items) and CBSE (Lowe, 1993) (α = .95) are measured with validated scales, while exposure to mommy influencers (α = .95) and medfluencers (α = .88) is assessed with two self-developed 4-item measures. Hypotheses will be tested in Mplus using structural equation modeling. First, we will run a simple mediation model with mommy and medfluencer exposure as independent variables, CBSE as mediator, and FOB as dependent variable, controlling for relevant socio-demographic confounders. Next, we will add parity as a moderator to this model.