Mediación parental y habilidades digitales de los adolescentes de la comunidad de madrid

Abstract

Introduction: A positive use of the internet and social media, taking advantage of its opportunities and coping with its dangers, requires digital skills. Parental mediation is considered a critical factor for children and adolescents to acquire digital knowledge and skills, performing them in daily behavior. Methodology: Controlling variables such as sex, age, time of use, and age of initiation in social networks, this article examines the relationship between different forms of parental mediation reported by Spanish adolescents, on the one hand, and their digital skills and performance, on the other. Using data from a survey of a representative sample of 524 pupils from1st to 4th year of Compulsory Secondary Education (from 12 to 16 years) in the Autonomous Region of Madrid (Spain). Results: We found that both restrictive mediation and active mediation oriented towards safety and well-being impact the online skills of adolescents, albeit weakly: restrictive mediation limits the development of digital skills, while forms of active mediation strengthen those skills. However, age and time of use influence more their implementation. Conclusions: The results suggest that, for adolescents’ digital performance, either restrictive parental practices or parental practices warning about risks and advising good online uses are not more relevant than factors related to age and experience of use.