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Screens are part of modern parenting – five tips for healthy use

The Conversation · 🇦🇺 public Australia · · 933 words · By Colette Marr; Liane Beretta de Azevedo
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What to know about Screens are part of modern parenting – five tips for healthy use

The article provides guidance for parents on managing their children's screen time, emphasizing the importance of parental modeling and co-viewing. It suggests five strategies, including following age-specific guidelines and encouraging off-screen activities, to support child development.

Propaganda risk 10%
Claims checked 14
Techniques found 0
Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center83%
Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

They see screens used by their parents as they work on laptops, use phones to arrange playdates or look up outings or recipes on tablets.

Why it matters

Managing screen time can be difficult when – as recent guidelines published by the Department for Education make clear – it’s not just how much time children spend on screens, but what they’re doing with them that matters.

Common ground

This applies to parents’ use of screens, too.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

The article provides guidance for parents on managing their children's screen time, emphasizing the importance of parental modeling and co-viewing. It suggests five strategies, including following age-specific guidelines and encouraging off-screen activities, to support child development.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/screens-are-part-of-modern-parenting-five-tips-for-h…

analyticsAnalysis

10%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 95%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 14 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 4
schedule Pending 4
check_circle Corroborated 3
help Insufficient Evidence 2
verified Verified 1
info
Claim 1: “Existing research shows a link between parenting stress – caused by the demands of parenting – and children’s use of mobile devices.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific link between parenting stress and children's mobile device use is mentioned in one source. Other sources discuss parental stress or parental controls generally but do not explicitly corroborate this specific link.
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web search NEUTRAL — The increased use of mobile devices with fully featured web browsers and downloadable applications has created a demand for parental controls on these devices. Some examples of mobile devices that con…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parental_controls
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web search NEUTRAL — Parent Mobile Technology Use Over the past few years, society has rapidly adopted the use of smartphone and tablets. The use of these devices by parents has steadily increased over the years (Johnson,…
https://cdn.researchprospect.com/dissertation/phd/Psychology…
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web search NEUTRAL — Existing research shows a link between parenting stress – caused by the demands of parenting – and children’s use of mobile devices. Factors such as parental anxiety, depression, and responses to a ch…
https://theconversation.com/screens-are-part-of-modern-paren…
schedule
Claim 2: “For children aged up to two years, it’s best to avoid screen time as much as possible.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 3: “the excessive use of interactive electronic devices can hinder some aspects of children’s social-emotional development.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results provided definitions of the word 'excessive' from dictionaries, but no research or evidence regarding the impact of interactive electronic devices on social-emotional development.
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web search NEUTRAL — Excessive exercise can sometimes cause health problems. Any more pudding would simply be excessive.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/excessiv…
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web search NEUTRAL — excessive, immoderate, inordinate, extravagant, exorbitant, extreme mean going beyond a normal limit. excessive implies an amount or degree too great to be reasonable or acceptable.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excessive
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web search NEUTRAL — If you describe the amount or level of something as excessive, you disapprove of it because it is more or higher than is necessary or reasonable.
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/exce…
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Claim 4: “recent guidelines published by the Department for Education make clear – it’s not just how much time children spend on screens, but what they’re doing with them that matters.”
CORROBORATED
The claim is explicitly stated in a parenting guide and supported by an expert reflection from Mark Griffiths, both emphasizing that content and context are more important than the amount of screen time.
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web search NEUTRAL — Managing screen time can be difficult when – as recent guidelines published by the Department for Education make clear – it’s not just how much time children spend on screens, but what they’re doing w…
https://theconversation.com/screens-are-part-of-modern-paren…
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web search NEUTRAL — Mark Griffiths reflects on the realities, implications and consequences of "screen time" in the context of gaming. He argues that it is not about the amount of screen use, but rather about its content…
https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/parenting4digitalfuture/2016/08/04/t…
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web search NEUTRAL — ABC News’ Reena Roy examines the impact on children of excessive screen time during the pandemic, and whether it could have lasting effects.ABC News Live Pri...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bCCDGZyC0I
help
Claim 5: “A 2023 study, which provided recommendations for managing screen time for children under five years old, highlighted the importance of parents’ knowledge of screen time guidelines.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the search results for a 2023 study specifically highlighting parents' knowledge of screen time guidelines for children under five.
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Claim 6: “Research on mothers and children found that screen distractions led to them responding less to their child which in turn reduced maternal sensitivity.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent sources confirm that screen distractions lead to mothers responding less to infants and a reduction in maternal sensitivity.
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web search NEUTRAL — Maternal sensitivity is a mother's ability to perceive and infer the meaning behind her infant's behavioural signals, and to respond to them promptly and appropriately. Maternal sensitivity affects ch…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maternal_sensitivity
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web search NEUTRAL — Research on mothers and children found that screen distractions led to them responding less to their child which in turn reduced maternal sensitivity.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-screens-modern-parent…
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web search NEUTRAL — - Distracted moms were less sensitive when responding to infant cues. - Infants with low regulation capacities and distracted moms tended to overfeed. - Two common themes emerged: Technological integr…
https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc984229/m2/1…
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Claim 7: “The Department for Education’s guidelines recommend that parents restrict screen time to one hour per day for children aged two to five years.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 8: ““co-viewing” – when parents and children watch or play on a device together – is not linked to insecure attachment.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources state that co-viewing is not linked to insecure attachment and may even have a positive impact on the attachment relationship.
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web search NEUTRAL — Additionally, "co-viewing" - when parents and children watch or play on a device together - is not linked to insecure attachment. This is a state where the child lacks confidence in their caregiver du…
https://www.medboundtimes.com/fitness-and-wellness/modern-pa…
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web search NEUTRAL — Observations were made on co-viewing activities carried out by a child and his parents at home because this activity was found to have an impact on the attachment relationship between the two parties.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/370412772_The_Impac…
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web search NEUTRAL — The results show that watching activities together has a positive impact on the attachment between parents and early childhood. This can be seen from the characteristics of the safe attachment that ch…
https://journal.unj.ac.id/unj/index.php/jpud/article/view/34…
info
Claim 9: “co-viewing can actually have a small positive effect on children’s learning.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the provided evidence mentions the role of co-viewing in learning and the impact of early education, there is no specific corroboration across multiple sources confirming a 'small positive effect' specifically attributed to co-viewing in the provided results.
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web search NEUTRAL — When technologist Luis von Ahn was building the popular language-learning platform Duolingo, he faced a big problem: Could an app designed to teach you somet...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6FORpg0KVo
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web search NEUTRAL — In addition, much of the discussion concerns the effects of unaided viewing by children, rather than viewing in the context of adult-led follow-up activities. The role of parent-child co-viewing and i…
https://www.routledge.com/Childrens-Learning-From-Educationa…
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web search NEUTRAL — Early education encompasses formal and informal early childhood programs, services, and practices that support children’s learning and development from birth to the start of primary school.
https://aithor.com/essay-examples/the-impact-of-early-educat…
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Claim 10: “research has indicated that parents of children under five are generally more confident in managing their child’s physical activity than in managing screen behaviour.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the search results comparing parental confidence in managing physical activity versus screen behavior.
schedule
Claim 11: “Diversionary strategies, where parents actively encourage their children to engage in alternative, off-screen pursuits... have also been shown to help children turn their attention away from screens.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 12: “research has linked audible notifications, such as text message chimes, to poorer infant vocabulary.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results returned information about the commercial service 'Audible' (audiobooks) rather than research on audible notifications and infant vocabulary.
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web search NEUTRAL — Try Audible free for 30 days. Discover best-selling audiobooks, free podcasts, and exclusive Audible Originals. Listen offline with the Audible app.
https://www.audible.com/
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web search NEUTRAL — Online shopping from a great selection at Audible Books & Originals Store.
https://www.amazon.com/Audible-Books-and-Originals/b?node=18…
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web search NEUTRAL — Download Audible: Audiobooks & Podcasts by Audible, Inc. on the App Store. See screenshots, ratings and reviews, user tips, and more apps like Audible:…
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/audible-audiobooks-podcasts/id…
verified
Claim 13: “The American Psychological Association offers advice on how to manage stress as a parent.”
VERIFIED
The APA is a recognized professional organization, and search results explicitly link the APA to research-proven ways to reduce stress, including mindfulness meditation.
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web search NEUTRAL — The American Psychological Association (APA) is a scientific and professional organization that represents psychologists in the United States.
https://www.apa.org/
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web search NEUTRAL — Practical Tips for Managing Parental Burnout. Effective management of parental burnout involves a combination of self-care, seeking support, and adopting healthy coping strategies. Here are some pract…
https://www.psychowellnesscenter.com/Blog/tips-to-deal-with-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Parental stress and anxiety may be normal, but it's essential to understand how to cope with and manage them.American Psychological Association. “Mindfulness Meditation: A Research-Proven Way to Reduc…
https://slumberkins.com/blogs/slumberkins-blog/parental-stre…
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Claim 14: “The NSPCC offers guidance on setting up parental controls.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.