Digital Parenting Can Reduce Problematic Internet Use In Early Childhood

Lutfi Hidayati Fauziah; Lukman Hakim; Miftahul Izza Rofiqoh; Umbu Hendro Nasrani Blegur

doi:10.31293/mv.v9i1.9022

Digital Parenting Can Reduce Problematic Internet Use In Early Childhood

Lutfi Hidayati Fauziah, Lukman Hakim, Miftahul Izza Rofiqoh, Umbu Hendro Nasrani Blegur

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the effect of digital parenting on problematic internet use among early childhood children. The participants were 200 mothers of children aged 3–5 years enrolled in early childhood education institutions in Singosari District, Malang Regency. Participants were selected using a purposive sampling technique. Data were collected using the Internet Parenting Scale (IPS), consisting of 10 items (α = 0.903), and the Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ), consisting of 18 items (α = 0.944). Data were analyzed using simple linear regression. The results revealed that digital parenting had a significant negative effect on problematic internet use among early childhood children (β = -0.772, R² = 0.596, F = 291.710, p < .001). Digital parenting accounted for 59.6% of the variance in problematic internet use, indicating that higher levels of parental guidance, monitoring, and involvement in children's digital activities were associated with lower levels of problematic internet use. These findings suggest that effective digital parenting serves as an important protective factor in preventing problematic internet use during early childhood. The study highlights the importance of strengthening parents’ digital parenting competencies through supervision, guidance, and active engagement in children's technology use to promote healthier digital behaviors from an early age.

Full Text:

PDF

References

Agriyani, M. A., & Widyastuti, T. (2023). Adaptasi Skala Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ) Versi Indonesia. Psikodimensia, 22(2), 157-167. https://journal.unika.ac.id/index.php/psi/article/view/10117

Altafim, E. R. P., de Oliveira, R. C., Pluciennik, G. A., Marino, E., & Gaspardo, C. M. (2024). Digital parenting program: Enhancing parenting and reducing child behavior problems. Children, 11(8), 980. https://doi.org/10.3390/children11080980

Altindağ Kumaş, Ö., & Sardohan Yildirim, A. E. (2024). Exploring digital parenting awareness, self‐efficacy and attitudes in families with special needs children. British Journal of Educational Technology, 55(5), 2403-2418. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13457

Asyriati, R. (2020, January). Parent attachment and adolescent’s Problematic Internet Use: a literature review. In 5th ASEAN Conference on Psychology, Counselling, and Humanities (ACPCH 2019) (pp. 124-128). Atlantis Press. https://www.atlantis-press.com/proceedings/acpch-19/125932589

Auraningtyas, I., Arshanty, I. R., Rahmawati, R. T., & Trisnawati, T. (2023). The role of internet parenting on internet addiction among adolescents. Psychological Research and Intervention, 6(2), 84-97. https://doi.org/10.21831/pri.v6i2.70585

Benedetto, L., & Ingrassia, M. (2021). Digital parenting: Raising and protecting children in media world. In L. Benedetto & M. Ingrassia (Eds.), Parenting: Studies by an ecocultural and transactional perspective (pp. 127–148). IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92579

Bleakley, A., Ellithorpe, M., & Romer, D. (2016). The role of parents in problematic internet use among US adolescents. Media and Communication, 4(3), 24-34. https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v4i3.523

Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Harvard university press.

Chen, Y., Gu, Q., Zheng, Q., Hu, B., Gu, C., Hu, Q., & Cao, Y. (2025). How parental mediation affects adolescents’ problematic smartphone use: The chain mediating role of basic psychological needs and positive outcome expectations. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1590057. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1590057

Demetrovics, Z., Szeredi, B., & Rózsa, S. (2008). The three-factor model of internet addiction: The development of the Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire. Behavior Research Methods, 40(2), 563–574. https://doi.org/10.3758/BRM.40.2.563

Dhir, A., & Khalil, A. (2018). Underpinnings of internet parenting styles: The development and validation of the internet parenting scale using repeated cross-sectional studies. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 56(7), 1149-1175. https://doi.org/10.1177/0735633117731492

Diana, S., & Harahap, A. S. (2023). Peran digital parenting terhadap perkembangan prososial anak usia dini di RA Al Furqon Mandailing Natal. Innovative: Journal Of Social Science Research, 3(5), 1921-1929. https://j-innovative.org/index.php/Innovative/article/view/4887

Hariyani, F., & Elwardah, K. (2024). The Role of Digital Parenting in Preventing Developmental Disorders Children. International Journal of Community Care of Humanity (IJCCH), 2(4), 460-467. https://journal.lsmsharing.com/ijcch/article/view/141

Hayati, S. A., Haryadi, R., Aminah, A., & Prasetia, M. E. (2021). Parenting Coaching Mengatasi Problematic Internet Use Dalam Mendampingi Anak Belajar Daring Di Masa Pandemi Covid-19 Pada Warga Komplek Kebun Jeruk Permai Banjarmasin. Jurnal Pengabdian Al-Ikhlas Universitas Islam Kalimantan Muhammad Arsyad Al Banjary, 7(1). https://ojs.uniska-bjm.ac.id/index.php/AIJP/article/view/5349

Kuss, D. J., & Griffiths, M. D. (2011). Online social networking and addiction: A review of the psychological literature. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 8(9), 3528–3552. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph8093528

Odgers, C. L., & Jensen, M. R. (2020). Annual research review: Adolescent mental health in the digital age: Facts, fears, and future directions. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 61(3), 336-348. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13190

Rahmawati, A. I. N., & Ariffudin, I. (2022). The relationship between problematic internet use and parenting models in the junior high school students in the pandemic era. Journal of Advanced Guidance and Counseling, 3(1), 32-53. https://doi.org/10.21580/jagc.2022.3.1.9353

Risnawaty, W. (2023). Adaptasi alat ukur pengasuhan internet [Laporan penelitian]. Program Studi Psikologi, Fakultas Psikologi, Universitas Tarumanagara Jakarta. https://lintar.untar.ac.id/repository/penelitian/buktipenelitian_10704006_10A160223195837.pdf

Santrock, J. W. (2021). Life-span development (18th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.

Sisbintari, K. D., & Setiawati, F. A. (2022). Digital parenting sebagai upaya mencegah kecanduan gadget pada anak usia dini saat pandemi Covid-19. Jurnal Obsesi: Jurnal Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini, 6(3), 1562–1575. https://doi.org/10.31004/obsesi.v6i3.1781

Soraya, S. Z. (2022). Digital Parenting; Strengthening Religious Concept Nafs in the Prevention of Child Pornography. Nadwa: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 16(2), 172-187. https://doi.org/10.21580/nw.2022.16.2.13749

Sugiyono. (2017). Metode penelitian kuantitatif, kualitatif, dan R&D. Alfabeta.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.31293/mv.v9i1.9022