Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting
Date Submitted: Dec 18, 2025
Date Accepted: Aug 10, 2026
Parental Media Literacy and Children’s Epistemic Curiosity in Screen-Based Media Use: Cross-Sectional Survey Study
ABSTRACT
Background:
While much research on children’s media use has focused on risks and negative outcomes, screen-based media (including YouTube and smartphone use) can also serve as a context for informal learning and the development of epistemic curiosity. For children aged 7–9, who are increasingly exposed to smartphones within the family environment, parents’ media literacy may shape the quality of these media experiences. However, many parents lack formal preparation to support children’s engagement, necessitating research that explores parental media literacy as a crucial parenting competency shaping children’s cognitive outcomes.
Objective:
This study examines how the dimensions of parental media literacy are structurally associated with and predict children’s epistemic curiosity during screen-based media use within the family context.
Methods:
An online survey was conducted with 1,020 parents of children aged 7–9 years in South Korea. Parental media literacy, children’s screen-based media engagement, and children’s epistemic curiosity (distinguishing between Interest-type and Deprivation-type) were measured using validated scales. Structural path analyses were performed to examine associations between dimensions of parental media literacy and dimensions of children’s epistemic curiosity.
Results:
Parental media literacy consisted of four dimensions affecting two dimensions of children’s epistemic curiosity. Specifically, parents’ Critical Evaluation skill was the strongest positive predictor of children’s Interest-type epistemic curiosity. All tested paths were significant except for Technological Utilization (TU) on the D-type of epistemic curiosity.
Conclusions:
Higher levels of parental media literacy are associated with greater epistemic curiosity among children during screen-based media use. These findings suggest that parental media literacy plays an important role in shaping children’s positive cognitive engagement with digital media beyond mere exposure or screen time. Clinical Trial: This is an observational study and not a clinical trial.
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