Perowne, Rachel; Gutman, Leslie Morrison; (2023) Parents’ perspectives on smartphone acquisition amongst 9- to 12-year-old children in the UK – a behaviour change approach. Journal of Family Studies 10.1080/13229400.2023.2207563. (In press).

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Abstract

Smartphone ownership has increased rapidly over the past decade, including amongst children and young people. Evidence is mixed in terms of the impact of smartphones on this population; with a number of benefits cited as well as a large number of risks. Given the pace of change in this area, research is sparse, including research to understand the influences on when children and young people acquire a smartphone. This is important because parents report struggling with deciding when to give their child a smartphone. This qualitative study applies the Behaviour Change Wheel to in-depth interviews, with a diverse sample of 11 parents, to report the barriers and enablers to parents giving children their first smartphone between the ages of 9 and 12 years old. Enablers include aspects of the physical and social environment, such as children starting to walk to school or preparing to move to secondary school, as well as the influence of other parents and children. Parents’ skills are a barrier whilst their beliefs about the consequences of their child owning a smartphone are a mix of barriers and enablers. Recommendations for interventions include age restrictions, regulations, parental training, education and guidance to support parental decision-making.

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