Parents’ Perceptions of Children’s Use of Apps on Mobile Devices and Development in Primary School-Aged Children

Abstract

Mobile devices are increasingly embedded in primary school-aged children’s daily lives, yet parents’ views of their developmental impact remain mixed. This study examined Italian parents’ perceived benefits and concerns about children’s use of apps on mobile devices and whether these perceptions vary by sociodemographic factors. The final analytic sample comprised 969 parents of children (6–10 years) who completed an online questionnaire assessing perceived impacts of children’s use of apps on mobile devices across motor, cognitive, language and communication, interpersonal, and emotional development domains, collecting sociodemographic information. Overall, parents reported moderate benefits alongside concerns. Benefits exceeded concerns for motor, cognitive, language and communication, and emotional domains, with the largest gap for the interpersonal domain alone, suggesting perceived support for social connection. Higher parental education levels and occupational status were associated with both higher perceived positive effects and higher concerns, suggesting a more engaged and reflective appraisal. Co-residing older siblings predicted higher perceived benefits and lower concerns, whereas higher perceived social status and living in a two-parent household predicted greater concerns. Overall, perceptions varied by social position and family composition, underscoring the need for guidance that helps families balance app-related opportunities and risks in coordination with schools.