Do parental control tools fulfil family expectations for child protection? A rapid evidence review of the contexts and outcomes of use

Among the parental mediation strategies promoted by policymakers to ensure children's safety in a digital age is the use of parental control tools. A rapid evidence review was conducted to identify which families use parental controls and why, and the outcomes of such use, beneficial or otherwise. Of 1,656 articles returned by a keyword search of five research databases, the full text of 40 studies was coded to answer the research questions. The available research revealed that the use of parental controls depends on the age of the parents and children, their digital skills, parental involvement, and the motivation to reduce exposure to online risk. However, the consequences of use were mixed, with evidence of parental controls having both beneficial and adverse outcomes, limiting other outcomes or simply having no outcomes. While the review found little support for advocating parental controls as a stand-alone strategy, parents valued them when embedded in a broader approach to parental mediation and parent - child relations. The conclusions highlight the importance of a child-centred approach that holistically evaluates the potential of parental controls. Prior State of Knowledge: Parental controls are widely recommended by policymakers and technology industry as a way for parents to keep their children safe online, but research usually examines parental mediation in general, rarely focusing on the use or effectiveness of parental controls in particular.Novel Contributions: A review of the effectiveness of parental controls reveals mixed results: some uses of parental controls bring benefits, for example to children's safety, but others have no effect or limit children's opportunities, and some have adverse results, for example to family communication.Practical Implications: Policymakers and technology developers should not rely on the use of parental controls to ensure children's safety in a digital world, because the evidence does not support the efficacy of parental controls and, if poorly designed, they may introduce problems for families.