Parenting Styles in the Digital Age: Navigating Technological Ideologies and Their Management for Children
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2025-07-08
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en
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This thesis explored the intersection of parenting styles and technology ideologies regarding technology consumption, specifically of generative AI, of both parents and their children. Living in a world where technological advancements pop up on a nearly daily basis, parents are faced with increasing pressure to strike a balance between preparing their children for a competitive world and letting their kids be kids. Drawing on the Consumer Culture Theory (CCT) (Arnould & Thompson, 2005; Franco, 2022), digital parenting, and Kozinet’s (2008) Technology Ideologies as an enabling lens, this qualitative study utilizes semi-structured interviews and netnography to investigate how different parenting styles implement and manage generative AI for themselves and their children.
The findings reveal the dynamism of the Authoritative and Permissive parenting styles as well as the technology ideologies (Techtopian, Techspressive, & Work Machine), creating subcategories of digital parenting styles that help explain their technology consumption behaviors. The data shows that participants’ parenting styles shifted based on different circumstances such as time, distance, and the ages of children. The research indicates that while both Authoritative and Permissive parents may view generative AI as a positive force in the world, they support its introduction in very different ways. Authoritative parents tend to value a level of control, involvement, and transparency when it comes to their children’s digital education, while the Permissive parents are more inclined to outsource their child’s digital education due to a lack of digital skills or a limited level of confidence in them.
The study contributes to the understanding of digital parenting concerning generative AI and offers actionable recommendations for educators, marketing managers, and policymakers. By familiarizing themselves with the dynamic technology consumption habits of digital parents and their children, these stakeholders can help promote digital literacy, better-targeted social support, and a safer digital future for today’s children (Livingstone & Byrne, 2018). Future research should investigate the child’s perspective of generative AI implementation and management, deeper cross-cultural dynamics, and the influences of varied educational environments on the digital literacy development of children.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen