Articles
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DOI: Women as Architects of Safe Digital Childhood:A Healthy and Regulatory Analysis of Maternal Digital Parenting
Pooja , Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (A Central University), Lucknow - 226025, Uttar Pradesh, India Dr. Shalini Agarwal , Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (A Central University), Lucknow - 226025, Uttar Pradesh, India Anjali Singh , Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (A Central University), Lucknow - 226025, Uttar Pradesh, India Anshika Sharma , Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (A Central University), Lucknow - 226025, Uttar Pradesh, IndiaAbstract
The explosion of digital technologies has transformed children's development contexts, and mothers and other female caregivers are key gatekeepers of children's digital lives. This review examines the complex role of women as the architect of safe digital childhoods, drawing on evidence from health sciences, regulation, developmental science, and gender studies.
This article explores the impact of mothers' digital parenting on children's physical health and cognitive, psychological, and social development based on more than 120 peer-reviewed studies spanning 2010-2024. We assess current regulatory frameworks and processes—from national laws and platform policies to school policies and global treaties—through a gender lens, uncovering regulatory gaps that place a disproportionate responsibility on mothers to ensure digital safety for their children in the absence of institutional support.
The review also explores intersectional factors, including socioeconomic inequalities, cultural factors, and the digital literacy gap among mothers. The findings indicate that maternal digital parenting is a complex and dynamic practice, shaped by competing demands, limited resources, and evolving technological landscapes. Our paper concludes with recommendations for co-regulatory approaches that share digital safety responsibilities between families, platforms, governments, and civil society, as well as building maternal digital literacy and effective policy mechanisms through evidence-based research.
Keywords
Maternal digital parenting, screen time regulation, child digital health, internet safety
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