5th ISA Forum of Sociology (6-11 July 2025)

Globally, families with preteen children face significant challenges in managing access to digital screen. Determining the appropriate age for providing a child a digital tool is a complex task, made more urgent by the decreasing age of smartphone acquisition. Social pressures encourage families to grant smartphones earlier, as early possession often facilitates peer inclusion. Concurrently, parents encounter conflicting advice from experts in education, psychology, and health sciences, complicating their decision-making process. Meanwhile, the literature documenting the potential and risks associated with the use of digital devices during adolescence is becoming substantial (Haidt & Twenge, 2024), although numerous authoritative sources argue that there is excessive concern regarding these issues (Odgers, 2024). This panel seeks to explore the relationship between parents and their pre-adolescent children concerning digital screen access. We invite interdisciplinary research that investigates the motivations and reasoning behind the decisions to grant, deny, or postpone smartphone use within families. Focus areas include the effects of intensive parenting on teen mental wellbeing, the mental load on parents, and the impact of screen time on family dynamics. We are particularly interested in how families navigate these decisions collectively, through formal support groups or informal exchanges of parental knowledge.Our goal is to highlight experiences and provide a comprehensive analysis of the factors influencing parental decisions about smartphone access. By examining these issues, we aim to contribute to the broader conversation on the implications of early smartphone use and offer insights into best practices for balancing digital engagement with mental health in pre-adolescents.