“Turn that thing off!” parent and adolescent predictors of proactive media monitoring

Though much research has focused on the positive outcomes of parents’ monitoring of adolescents’ media use, few studies have examined predictors of parents’ media monitoring. Accordingly, the current study was designed to assess both parent and child predictors of proactive media monitoring during adolescence. Participants consisted of 478 families who completed parenting and media questionnaires at two time points, approximately one year apart. Results revealed that both maternal and paternal authoritative parenting predicted proactive media monitoring. Specifically, parental connection and regulation were associated with increased levels of prearming (also called active mediation); regulation was associated with higher levels of cocooning (also called restrictive mediation); and autonomy was associated with higher levels of deference. Additionally, adolescents’ self regulation, media use, and age all predicted lower levels of parental cocooning. This research highlights the importance of examining both parent and child factors when determining what strategies parents use to monitor the media.