An Assessment of Screen Exposure According to Parental Acceptance and Rejection in Early Childhood

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine screen exposure according to parental acceptance and rejection in early childhood. In addition, depending on this purpose, it was also examined whether children's screen exposures differed according to socio-demographic variables. The study group consisted of 297 parents with 36-59-month-old children from intact families who were attending pre-school education institutions in Turkey, İstanbul. In the study, an "Individual Information Form", and the short form of 'Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire' were administered to the parents. As a result, it was found that the duration of screen exposure differed according to the age of the child, the mother's level of education, the type of technological devices the child was allowed to use, the purpose of using these devices, whether there was a rule about watching television at home, and whether the television was always on. It was also found that the children who watched TV for at least four hours a day were rejected by their parents more than the children who watched TV less. It is thought that the findings obtained in this study may shed light on interventions related to screen exposure.