Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Apr 18, 2020
Date Accepted: Jan 20, 2021
Artificial Intelligence to Reduce Technology Interference during Early Childhood: Parent Perspectives from a National Survey
ABSTRACT
Background:
Some parent use of mobile technologies may interfere in important parent-child interactions critical to healthy child development – a phenomenon known as “technoference.” We know little, however, about the population-wide awareness of this problem, and the acceptability of artificial-intelligence (AI)-based tools to help mitigate it.
Objective:
To assess parents’ awareness of technoference and its harms, the acceptability of AI tools to mitigate technoference, and how these vary across sociodemographic factors.
Methods:
We administered an online survey to a nationally representative sample of parents of children 5 years old and under. Parent awareness of their own problem technology use, technoference and AI tool acceptance were assessed using adaptations of previously validated scales. Multiple regression and mediation analysis was used to assess the relationships between these scales and each of six sociodemographic factors (parent age, sex, language, ethnicity, educational attainment and family income).
Results:
Of 305 respondents, 280 participants provided data meeting established standards for analysis. Parents reported a mean of 3 devices (SD 2.07) interfered daily in interactions with their child. Almost two-thirds of parents agreed with the statements “I am worried about the impact of my mobile electronic device use on my child,” and “Using a computer-assisted coach while caring for my child would help me notice more quickly when my device use is interfering with my caregiving” (66.5% and 65.1%, respectively). Younger age, Hispanic ethnicity and Spanish language spoken at home were associated with increased technoference awareness. Parents’ perceptions of their own problematic technology use in general, compared to their technoference in particular and sociodemographic factors, was most associated with acceptance of AI tools.
Conclusions:
Parents reported high levels of mobile device use and technoference around their youngest children. Most parents across a wide sociodemographic spectrum would accept the use of AI tools to help mitigate technoference during parent-child daily interactions.
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