Longitudinal patterns of digital parenting restrictions and adolescent screen use: Insights from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study
- 1Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America.
- 2Center for Mental Health Innovation, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America.
Abstract
Digital parenting restrictions are widely used to manage adolescent screen use, yet it is unclear how strongly these strategies are associated with screen time as children age and gain autonomy. This study examined longitudinal patterns of digital parenting restrictions and their relationship to adolescent screen time using self-reported and passive measures. Data came from Years 3–5 of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (n = 8,089). Latent Transition Analysis identified Low, Moderate, and High Restriction profiles from 14 Parent Screen Time Questionnaire items. Linear mixed-effects models tested associations between profiles and screen use outcomes (self-reported screen time, self-reported smartphone use, passive smartphone use from the ABCD-EARS app, and smartphone keystroke activity). Interaction terms examined age effects. Gradient boosting (XGBoost) identified the most influential parenting practices. High and Moderate Restriction profiles were linked to lower screen use across all measures. Compared to the Low Restriction group, High Restriction participants reported 56 fewer daily minutes of screen time (p < 0.0008) and logged 286 fewer daily keystrokes (p < 0.0008). A significant interaction (β = 13.0; 95% CI: 7.9, 18.2) indicated that the effect of high restriction diminished with age. Machine learning highlighted bedroom device access (e.g., screens playing at bedtime, mobile devices in bed) as the strongest predictor of higher screen time. Greater parenting restrictions were associated with lower adolescent screen time, although these associations appeared to weaken as adolescents gained independence. Limiting device access in the bedroom may represent a potentially useful strategy for moderating screen use and promoting healthier digital habits. Author summary: Digital media is a major part of adolescents’ daily lives, and parents commonly use rules and restrictions to manage how much time their children spend on screens. However, it is unclear whether these strategies remain useful as children grow older and become more independent. We used data from more than 8,000 adolescents participating in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study to examine how patterns of parenting restrictions changed over three years and how they were related to screen use. Adolescents whose parents reported greater restrictions generally had lower screen use, including both self-reported and passively measured smartphone use. However, the relationship between greater restrictions and lower screen time weakened as adolescents grew older. We also found that parenting practices involving access to devices in the bedroom were particularly strongly related to screen use. These findings suggest that parents may need to adapt how they manage digital media as children move through adolescence. Strategies focused on the bedroom environment may be especially useful to examine in future research.
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BibTeX
@article{lopez2026longitudinal,
title = {{Longitudinal patterns of digital parenting restrictions and adolescent screen use: Insights from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study}},
author = {Daniel Lopez and Arturo Lopez-Flores and Gloria Ruiz-Orozco and Bonnie Nagel},
journal = {PLOS Digital Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pdig.0001127},
url = {https://journals.plos.org/digitalhealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pdig.0001127},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Longitudinal patterns of digital parenting restrictions and adolescent screen use: Insights from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study
AU - Daniel Lopez
AU - Arturo Lopez-Flores
AU - Gloria Ruiz-Orozco
AU - Bonnie Nagel
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/28
JO - PLOS Digital Health
DO - 10.1371/journal.pdig.0001127
UR - https://journals.plos.org/digitalhealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pdig.0001127
AB - Digital parenting restrictions are widely used to manage adolescent screen use, yet it is unclear how strongly these strategies are associated with screen time as children age and gain autonomy. This study examined longitudinal patterns of digital parenting restrictions and their relationship to adolescent screen time using self-reported and passive measures. Data came from Years 3–5 of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (n = 8,089). Latent Transition Analysis identified Low, Moderate, and High Restriction profiles from 14 Parent Screen Time Questionnaire items. Linear mixed-effects models tested associations between profiles and screen use outcomes (self-reported screen time, self-reported smartphone use, passive smartphone use from the ABCD-EARS app, and smartphone keystroke activity). Interaction terms examined age effects. Gradient boosting (XGBoost) identified the most influential parenting practices. High and Moderate Restriction profiles were linked to lower screen use across all measures. Compared to the Low Restriction group, High Restriction participants reported 56 fewer daily minutes of screen time (p < 0.0008) and logged 286 fewer daily keystrokes (p < 0.0008). A significant interaction (β = 13.0; 95% CI: 7.9, 18.2) indicated that the effect of high restriction diminished with age. Machine learning highlighted bedroom device access (e.g., screens playing at bedtime, mobile devices in bed) as the strongest predictor of higher screen time. Greater parenting restrictions were associated with lower adolescent screen time, although these associations appeared to weaken as adolescents gained independence. Limiting device access in the bedroom may represent a potentially useful strategy for moderating screen use and promoting healthier digital habits. Author summary: Digital media is a major part of adolescents’ daily lives, and parents commonly use rules and restrictions to manage how much time their children spend on screens. However, it is unclear whether these strategies remain useful as children grow older and become more independent. We used data from more than 8,000 adolescents participating in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study to examine how patterns of parenting restrictions changed over three years and how they were related to screen use. Adolescents whose parents reported greater restrictions generally had lower screen use, including both self-reported and passively measured smartphone use. However, the relationship between greater restrictions and lower screen time weakened as adolescents grew older. We also found that parenting practices involving access to devices in the bedroom were particularly strongly related to screen use. These findings suggest that parents may need to adapt how they manage digital media as children move through adolescence. Strategies focused on the bedroom environment may be especially useful to examine in future research.
SN - 2767-3170
ER -