A study of more than 10,000 adolescents aged 12 to 13 years from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study examined how specific media parenting practices influence the consumption of R-rated movies and mature-rated video games.
Published in BMC Pediatrics, the study included six categories of parental practices, including screen time modeling, monitoring, and limits; mealtime and bedroom screen use; and the use of screens to control behavior. Ordinal logistic regression models were employed for statistical analyses, adjusting for sociodemographic covariates to ensure accurate interpretations.
Results showed that parental screen time modeling was positively associated with higher odds of adolescents watching R-rated movies and playing mature video games (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.11 for both). Mealtime and bedroom screen use were strong predictors of higher engagement in mature content: bedroom use showed an AOR of 1.44 and mealtime use showed an AOR of 1.26. The use of screens to control behavior had varied effects; using screens as punishment correlated with increased consumption of mature media, while using them as rewards produced mixed results. Conversely, consistent parental monitoring and limiting screen time were strongly linked to lower consumption of mature content (AORs = 0.72-0.81).
"Our findings suggest that parental monitoring and limiting of adolescent screen time are significantly associated with lower mature video game use and R-rated movie consumption in adolescents," wrote Jason M. Nagata of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of California in San Francisco, with colleagues.
The investigators suggested that future research should explore long-term effects of parental media practices on their children's exposure to mature-content movies and video games, and the potential negative outcomes that could result, as other studies have noted.
Limitations included lack of longitudinal data and causality. Reporting, recall, and selection bias were possible, and individuals of lower socioeconomic status, as well as Black and Latinx individuals, were underrepresented. Confounders such as adolescent behaviors, parenting styles, and video game addiction were not adjusted for, the researchers wrote.
"These findings can further inform guidelines such as those outlined by the American Academy of Pediatrics Family Media Use Plans," they concluded. "Findings show that clear and consistent rules that are agreed upon by parents and children can make the implementation of guidelines such as the Family Media Use plan more effective and successful in the long term."
No conflicts of interest were disclosed in the study.