Interactive Media Effects

Besides the fast pace of modern life, the development of interactive media adds new complexity to today’s parenting. Parents understand computer literacy is important to help their children prepare for science and technology and the computer literacy may come from online activities such as playing games (Subrahmanyam et al., 2002). However, it is the negative effects of children use on interactive media that worry parents. Chinese parenting might become even more difficult in the digital age since parents have to constantly worry about their single children’s physical and mental health as well as academic success. Jiang (2014) reported among the internet-dependent young people in China online gaming was found linking to internet addiction,

The author advised parental mediation strategies should be active, restrictive, and co-viewing and the strategy around how to help parents and children learn together with and through digital media should be in the next important research. However, Lee et al. (2016) mentioned in South Korea mediation strategies (e.g., technical restrictions, parental restrictions) found limited effect to prevent adolescent’s smartphone addition. On the contrary, any restriction imposed by parents tended to increase the likelihood of smartphone addiction. Radesky et al. (2015) suggested preliminary guidance for parents such as parents should know which technology and content are best for their children, how to monitor and set rules for use; Parents should be encouraged to try a game or an app first and play it with the child. Studies also show parents’ serious altitude towards self-evaluative of smartphone use can help their young children undermine their dependence on smartphones (Cho & Lee, 2017). This suggests setting good examples are far more effective than words for parents when regarding how to discipline young children. In the digital are, parenting methods are coherence with their own experience with internet and their attitude towards the

Instead of fearing children’s educational and emotional development been damaged by digital culture, parental involvement becomes a necessity. As Cho and Lee (2017) pointed out there is a need for mediating self-assessment of parents using smartphones and giving children compulsory control according to the child’s daily smartphone usage. Lee and Chae (2007) reported children’s internet use time declines the family time but not related to family communication. The family relationship can be affected by what types of online activities children have. The authors also revealed when parents know what useful websites for child learning and when they take time to use the websites with their child can have the positive impact on their children's e-learning outcome. Meanwhile, children’s internet behaviors will not be affected by any parental restriction on screen time and content. On the contrary, giving children certain freedom and privacy more likely help to generate children’s interest in learning and lead to skills development (Livingstone,