Secondary mediation of children's media use: An exploration of mothers-grandmothers' mediation dynamic

TY - JOUR

T1 - Secondary mediation of children's media use

T2 - An exploration of mothers-grandmothers' mediation dynamic

AU - Nimrod, Galit

AU - Elias, Nelly

AU - Lemish, Dafna

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2025 Elsevier Inc.

PY - 2025/9

Y1 - 2025/9

N2 - Attempts to shape children's media use by affecting other caregivers' mediation practices, defined here as “secondary mediation,” are a significant yet relatively undiscussed family dynamic. By investigating 267 dyads of the two primary caregivers in intergenerational families—mothers and grandmothers—the study presented in this article sheds light on the prevalence of secondary mediation, the factors predicting it, and its consequences. Our findings point to a considerable gap between the mothers and the grandmothers in reporting the existence of secondary mediation. Yet, they suggest that secondary mediation within these dyads depends on the relationship between the two generations, their level of education, their experience and comfort with the media used by the children, and the time the grandmothers spend caregiving for the grandchildren. These findings are interpreted in light of Maierhofer's ‘anocriticism’ approach, pointing to the need for further research.

AB - Attempts to shape children's media use by affecting other caregivers' mediation practices, defined here as “secondary mediation,” are a significant yet relatively undiscussed family dynamic. By investigating 267 dyads of the two primary caregivers in intergenerational families—mothers and grandmothers—the study presented in this article sheds light on the prevalence of secondary mediation, the factors predicting it, and its consequences. Our findings point to a considerable gap between the mothers and the grandmothers in reporting the existence of secondary mediation. Yet, they suggest that secondary mediation within these dyads depends on the relationship between the two generations, their level of education, their experience and comfort with the media used by the children, and the time the grandmothers spend caregiving for the grandchildren. These findings are interpreted in light of Maierhofer's ‘anocriticism’ approach, pointing to the need for further research.

KW - Gender roles

KW - Intergenerational relationships

KW - Media

KW - Secondary mediation

KW - Technology

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105014991589

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105014991589#tab=citedBy

U2 - 10.1016/j.jaging.2025.101357

DO - 10.1016/j.jaging.2025.101357

M3 - Article

C2 - 40925708

SN - 0890-4065

VL - 74

JO - Journal of Aging Studies

JF - Journal of Aging Studies

M1 - 101357

ER -