• 308-01 - Parenting Facilitated by Technology Use: Development of a Framework
  Presented by: Susan Walker, Jessica Connell
• 308-02 - Innovations in Online Parent Education and Community Building
  Presented by: Anne Samuelson, Rebecca Mather, Stephen Small
• 308-03 - Technology Use Among Parents of Teens: Implications for Parent Education
  Presented by: Jodi Dworkin, Jessica Connell, Jennifer Doty, Susan Walker
• 308-04 - Parents’ Motivation to Use the Internet as a Parenting Resource: A Demographic Comparison of Perceived Challenges
  Presented by: Young-Hoon Ham, Susan K Walker

Abstracts

Parenting Facilitated by Technology Use: Development of a Framework

Presented by: Susan Walker, Jessica Connell

Although research has informed how parents are using technology, it offers us little on how these activities relate to their parenting. This study provides evidence that technology activity helps parents fulfill a range of parenting goals. Using an existing framework of domains of parenting, we categorize parents’ technology activities aligned with parenting functions. Technology activity patterns suggest that family life educators consider a wide range of knowledge, interactive, social and creative features to stimulate and support parents’ learning and parenting goals.

Innovations in Online Parent Education and Community Building

Presented by: Anne Samuelson, Rebecca Mather, Stephen Small

Effective parent education and support programs have been linked to important child and family outcomes. However, poor availability and accessibility are often cited as major barriers for parents and providers alike.  A promising new direction for overcoming such obstacles is the use of online technology.  The current project involves the development and evaluation of an online teaching and learning community for mothers of children ages 10-14 known as Parenthetical.  This 8-week study measures the efficacy of Parenthetical as compared to written online parenting information.  Results will assess parents’ developmental knowledge and expectations, perceptions of social support, and stress.

Technology Use Among Parents of Teens: Implications for Parent Education

Presented by: Jodi Dworkin, Jessica Connell, Jennifer Doty, Susan Walker

Families in the U.S. today are using a variety of communication technologies (ICTs) to stay in contact.  However, the literature has focused primarily on parents of young children, and little is known about how parents of adolescents use ICTs. To address this gap, data were collected using an online survey from a national sample parents; a subsample who had at least one child between 13-18 years old (n=564) was used in this investigation.  Overall, parents reported being active and comfortable users of technology. Modest but significant demographic differences in ICT use for parenting emerged. Implications for parent education are discussed.

Parents’ Motivation to Use the Internet as a Parenting Resource: A Demographic Comparison of Perceived Challenges

Presented by: Young-Hoon Ham, Susan K Walker

This study examined two dimensions in the process of using the Internet as a parenting resource: perceived challenges with searching for information and perceived challenges with using information. Comparison on demographic characteristics was conducted at these two perception levels. Parent users of the Internet are not homogeneous. Among non-white parents, parents with a four-year college degree tended to show a higher level of perceived difficulty at the search stage than non-college graduates. The perceived difficulty at the usage stage was greater for fathers than for mothers. Implications for tailoring parenting education and outreach efforts will be discussed.