Parental mediation of adolescents’ Internet use in Jordan

While most previous studies on the internet use of Arab adolescants focused on examining the uses, benefits and risks of their online activities, less is known about the effects of parental mediation of adolescent internet use in the Arab world. This study attempts to explore the effects of parental mediation strategies on adolescent internet use and the exposure of Arab adolescants to online risks, as well as examining the influence of demographic variables on these strategies. A survey was conducted of 400 Jordanian preparatory and secondary school students, from 7 to 12 grade. The study revealed that males are more vulnerable to exposure to online risks. The educational level of the mother significantly affects the instructive mediation and exposure to online risks, while the fathers’ educational level has a significant effect on co-use mediation. The study also pointed out that there was no significant effect regarding gender on restrictive and instructive mediation.