Level up! Refreshing parental mediation theory for our digital media landscape

• Main Authors: JIOW, Hee Jhee, LIM, Sun Sun, LIN, Julian
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2017
• Subjects: Active Mediation; Coplaying; Parental Mediation; Restrictive Mediation; Video Games; Communication Technology and New Media; Graphic Communications
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cis_research/87; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/cis_research/article/1086/viewcontent/Communication_Theory___2016___Jiow___Level_Up__Refreshing_Parental_Mediation_Theory_for_Our_Digital_Media_Landscape.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

This article argues that parental mediation theory is rooted in television studies and mustbe refined to accommodate the fast-changing media landscape that is populated by com-plex and intensively used media forms such as video games, social media, and mobile apps.Through a study of parental mediation of children’s video game play, we identify the lim-itations of parental mediation theory as applied to current trends in children’s media useand suggest how it can be enhanced. This study seeks to improve parental mediation the-ory’s descriptive and explanatory strength by identifying and outlining the specific activitiesthat parents undertake as they impose their media strategies. We explain how restrictive,co-use, and active mediation are constituted by gatekeeping, discursive, diversionary, andinvestigative activities.