Are parent training programs useful for reducing problematic or addictive use of technology in children? A systematic review

Awareness regarding the problematic use of screen media by children has increased in recent years. The rate of technological addiction, referred to as “behavioral addiction” by the World Health Organization, is rising as well. This is a serious mental health concern, especially as it can have negative consequences for children and adolescents, as well as their families. The main features, uses, and prevention strategies developed in parent training programs aimed at avoiding problematic or addictive use of technology in children have only been slightly addressed in the scientific literature. In all likelihood, this is probably the first systematic review to focus specifically on these areas. The purpose of this study is to review the scientific research published over the last decade in order to answer the following three questions: (1) Are parent training programs useful in reducing problematic or addictive use of technology in children and adolescents? (2) What are the advantages and disadvantages of these programs? (3) Are the parents who participate in these programs satisfied with the results after attending the training? We systematically examined the peer-reviewed literature from the Web of Science Core Collection (WOS), Medline, and Scopus, adhering to the PRISMA statement. Only Journal articles published from 2013 to February 2024 and written in the English language were reviewed. A total of 250 studies were obtained, of which seven were finally selected. The results provide a complete overview of the most useful strategies for empowering parents with new skills, insights, and knowledge for the purpose of reducing problematic and addictive use of technology at home.