Parental perceptions of technology and technology-focused parenting: Associations with youth screen time

•We examine a model of parenting, child screen time, and child psychopathology.•Three stages of development are examined.•Parental perceptions are associated with their parenting strategies.•Parenting strategies for their adolescent's screen time may be ineffective.•Child screen time is associated with maladaptive outcomes.

In the present study we propose a model linking parental perceptions of technology to technology-related parenting strategies to youth screen time, and, finally, to internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors. Participants were 615 parents drawn from three community samples of families with children across three developmental stages: young childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence. The model was tested at each stage with the strongest support emerging in the young childhood sample. One component of parental perceptions of technology, perceived efficacy, was related to technology-related parenting strategies across developmental stages. However, the association of these strategies to child screen time and, in turn, problem behaviors, diminished as children increased in age. Implications for intervention are considered.