How Using Parental Control Software Can Enhance Parents’ Well-Being: The Role of Product Features on Parental Efficacy and Stress

Abstract

Today, children's smartphone overuse and digital addiction are among parents’ top concerns. To address this issue, technology firms have developed services to help parents monitor their children's screen time. The literature on the impact of parental control tends to focus on the well-being of children, often overlooking the effects of parenting control on the well-being of parents themselves. This research investigates the psychological outcomes associated with delegating parental control to software. The authors conducted two surveys and three experiments among samples of parents in France and the United Kingdom. The results show that resorting to digitally assisted control improves anticipated well-being by decreasing role overload and increasing parental efficacy (Study 1). Moreover, product features play a critical role: software designs that promote children's autonomy (Study 2) or product autonomy (Study 3) tend to be less effective in improving parents’ anticipated well-being. Implications for technology companies are discussed.