Parents Want Help with Clearing Information Landmines: Information Literacy Programs for Parents of Children Under Twelve
Considering the ubiquity of devices available to children and content created for them, parents of children 12 and younger should be targeted as a specific group for new information literacy programs.  A May 2025 Pew Research Center survey reported that parents of children 12 and younger allow their children to use various devices (TVs, tablets, smart phones) to access platforms (YouTube and social media), for reasons such as entertainment, learning, staying connected, and calming down. Parents of the same survey also reported that smartphones and content created for social media is more harmful that beneficial and that tech companies and law makers should do more to prevent harms. They also reported challenges about deciding what to allow and how to manage screentime for their children. Many reported they felt a need to improve their decision making related to screentime and content. Today, families are less likely to receive instruction and support from libraries to evaluate technology and content for children than in the past due to more option to access devices and information.
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