Mexico City, October 2, 2024.- The rise of streaming platforms has transformed the way we consume audiovisual content, but it has also raised concerns among parents about their children's access to inappropriate content. The Mtra. Cecilia Sada Garibay, an academic at the School of Communication of the Universidad Panamericanahas addressed this issue in her most recent research, focused on the use of parental control tools in video on demand (SVoD) services, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Claro Video, in Mexico.
The study, conducted in collaboration with Dr. Matthew A. Lapierre of the University of Arizonafocuses on how and why parents use these tools. The research highlights the growing use of streaming platforms in Mexico, and parental concerns about the risks associated with content consumption by children in elementary school.
The origin of the research
The idea to explore this topic arose from Mtra. Sada's own day-to-day interactions with parents. "Informal conversations with parents of my children's friends, who were then in elementary school, revealed their concern about streaming services and the content their children were watching," she says.
The parents, aware that Mtra. Sada studies the effects of media, shared their concerns and sought her opinion on strategies they could implement to regulate the use of platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
This concern motivated the researcher to further study the use of technical restraint tools in Mexico, a country where access to these services has grown exponentially in recent years.
"The study focuses on parents of elementary school children because at that age children already have enough independence to turn on the TV, enter a platform and choose a program or movie, but they are still in the process of developing a judgment about what content is appropriate," he explains.
Perception of risk and parental involvement
One of the most relevant findings of the study was the crucial role of risk perception and parental involvement in the use of technical control tools. "The results indicate that parents who perceive greater risks in streaming services are more likely to be actively involved in the use of these platforms by their children, and to be more aware of the parental control tools available," says the academic.
These results, however, were only found for Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, not for Claro Video, a service that many families get as part of a telephony package, and which, therefore, occupies a secondary place in entertainment options.
Challenges for parents and service providers
One of the key aspects of the research is the relationship between parental knowledge about parental control tools and their use. Although the study did not directly measure the effectiveness of the restrictions, Ms. Sada stresses that knowledge is essential for good implementation: "The more informed parents are about how the platforms work and what control tools they offer, the better they can make decisions to ensure a safe experience for their children," she says.
According to Ms. Sada, it is essential that streaming service providers improve the accessibility and ease of use of these tools. " I think it is important that providers offer clearer and more accessible information about parental control tools, and that parents can configure them directly from the TV without having to resort to other devices," she proposes.
Areas for future research
While Ms. Sada's research focuses on streaming services, she highlights the need to also explore how parents choose to apply or not apply parental mediation strategies in different contexts .
"It is important to understand how parental mediation varies according to circumstances, for example, when the family is at home or at a restaurant, or when parents are tired rather than rested. This is an understudied area that could offer valuable insights to help parents manage their children's media use," he concludes.
A call to action
Cecilia Sada Garibay's study not only reveals the concerns that parents face in an expanding digital environment, but also offers tools and recommendations so that they can exercise greater control over what their children see.
Their research is a call to action for both parents and streaming service providers to take a more active role in protecting minors, ensuring that new technologies are used safely and responsibly.
This line of research opens the door to future studies that could delve deeper into the relationship between digital content consumption and children's cognitive development, providing a more complete picture of how to face the challenges of the digital world.
Researcher's data
Cecilia Sada Garibay, professor of the School of Communication at Universidad Panamericana.
Read more about his research here.
Learn more about the researchers at Universidad Panamericana at: https://www.up.edu.mx/investigadores-panamericana/
