Relationship Between Parenting Practices and Children's Screen Time During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Turkey

PURPOSE: This study investigates the relationship between parenting practices and children's screen time following the COVID-19 outbreak. DESIGN AND METHODS: The population of the present cross-sectional study was the parents of children studying in three randomly-selected schools in the western, eastern and central regions of Turkey. The study data were collected between May 15 and 31, 2020, using a descriptive questionnaire form and the Parenting Practices Scale applied to 1115 parents of children between 6 and 13 years of age. The data were analyzed using the SPSS 21.0 software package, and with descriptive, correlation and multiple regression analyses. RESULTS: It was noted that 68% of the mothers did not work, and 40.2% of the fathers had shifted to a flexible work arrangement as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study revealed that 89.6% of the families had established ground rules related to screen time, and that the screen time of the children of 71.7% of the families had seen an increase, amounting to 6.42 ± 3.07 h/day. Gender, age, household income, mother's employment status, family's rules about screen time, and inconsistent parenting practices were defined as significant predictors in the children's screen time model created for the study. CONCLUSIONS: A vast majority of the participants stated that their children's screen time had increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Screen time should be monitored, the necessary support should be provided to children, and parents should set ground rules for their children's screen times.