Examining the Efficacy of "Technological Parental Monitoring" Approach Versus "Parental Vigilant Care" Approach for Reducing Problematic Internet Usage Among Adolescents

BACKGROUND: One of the most disturbing phenomena regarding the digital age is Problematic Internet Use (PIU) among adolescents (12-16). PIU is defined as a functioning impairment due to: (1) internet excessive use that may lead to the neglect of developmental tasks, or (2) unsafe use which includes viewing inappropriate content, abusive encounters, or commercial exploitation. Clinical and research experience shows that parental involvement plays a critical role in reducing risk behaviors among adolescents in various domains. Despite the ample literature regarding parental involvement, few studies have evaluated the efficacy of parental involvement on adolescents' PIU in reducing functional impairment and designing a safe digital environment. One of the most investigated theoretical approaches in this field is Parental Monitoring (PM). PM is defined as a set of parental practices that aim to monitor and supervise adolescent activities. Despite evidence that PM is effective in reducing risk behaviors among adolescents, PM also has some drawbacks. Studies have demonstrated that it may be perceived as rigid parental control, thereby damaging internalization of parental presence, and potentially sabotaging adolescents' growing independence and autonomy. In the digital world, rigid PM can be defined as using filtering and surveillance applications that enable parents to closely monitor and enforce strict rules regarding their child's internet use. This approach is defined as in the current study as "Technological Parental Monitoring" (TPM). On the other hand, "Parental Vigilant Care" (PVC), is theoretically conceptualized as an alternative parental involvement approach that addresses the weaknesses of PM. By implementing PVC principles, parents develop a positive and non-judgmental dialogue with their children regarding domains the participants are concerned about. Additionally, parents determine their level of active involvement in a flexible manner, specific to the risks presented by their children. By executing decisive and consistent parental involvement, parents strengthen their presence in their children's digital world, therefore, reducing PIU by internalization of safe digital behavior.

OBJECTIVES: The current study aims to examine the efficacy of using digital parental control, according to TPM approach, in comparison with flexible integration of positive parental presence with setting boundaries, according to PVC approach. These approaches will be compared in light of the following outcomes: (1) increasing effective parental involvement in PIU of their adolescent children, (2) reducing PIU and improving adolescent's functioning, and (3) internalizing parental values regarding safe digital activities by children, in order to maintain a parental presence over time.

METHOD: To examine these objectives, a randomized controlled trial was conducted.

Sample size calculation: To assess sample size, the investigators used G-Power software, assuming type 1 error of 5%, power 80%, and analysis of variance, repeated measures with three measurement points, a moderate effect size of time X group interaction (µ2 = .15). The minimum sample size required to meet these assumptions was 134 participants. The final sample consisted of 157 adolescents, in addition to their parents (one parent for each adolescent), yielding a total sample size of 314 participants.

Two-hundred and 297 parents and their children (12-16 y/o) were randomly assigned to four groups: (1) Group parental training according to PVC approach; (2) installation of filtering devices on adolescents' mobile phones and setting them for reducing time use and prohibiting inappropriate content (TPM); (3) combining both group parental training and installation of filtering devices (PVC + TPM) and (4) control group that did not receive any intervention.