Abstract:

Research addressing internet use by adolescents and children and the resultant impact (both positive and negative) on educational achievement is increasingly important. Twenge, Martin and Spitzberg (2019), in an assessment of adolescents’ media use from 1976 to 2016, note that those born after 1995 are the first to spend their entire adolescence in the "smartphone era." The advent of smartphone technology has led to growing concerns with what has been termed Problematic Internet Use (or PIU). Most parents and educators realize that an excessive amount of time spent online can have a negative effect on academic performance and can also have a multitude of potential negative consequences. These include cheating, negative body image, lack of participation and discipline issues. Other social issues found to be positively correlated with PIU include, (cyber)bullying, harassment, low self-esteem, poor grades, propensity to be easily bored, getting “in trouble”, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, sleep disturbances and excessive daytime sleepiness, less favorable relations with parents, exposure to risky behaviors such as gambling, violence, pornography, blackmail, and the disclosure of personal, private information. As a result, an emerging technological trend is the development of software solutions that monitor internet usage and attempt to add a measure of control. This study investigates factors that affect parents’ interest and intent to use parental control software. These include software products and other tools that allow parents to set controls on their children's internet use

Study and Methodology:
The study is based on a sample of parents in the United States who were accessed through an online research panel. The survey was conducted nationwide via Qualtrics Panels during July 2020. When completed, a total of 330 valid and complete responses from parents of children between the ages of 10 and 15 were received. Respondents were distributed across the country, including from all five major geographical regions. Children in the sample were found to have access to a wide range of technology and to a wide variety of internet and mobile devices, with nearly three-quarters of them having their own smartphone. Not surprisingly, parents also reported that their child is an active user of social media. Parents were asked a series of questions regarding their child’s internet use and potential or actual negative consequences. Finally, the survey addressed issues associated with the adoption of software solutions (such as personal innovativeness, computer facility, and demographic characteristics). The results (presently in progress) are analyzed with Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to assess the likelihood of adoption of such technology. These suggest profiles of the likely users of software solutions to address PIU and the role that education might play in the adoption of technology.

Keywords:

Problematic internet use, adoption of technology.