Digital Media and Unequal Childhoods: Parenting, Socioeconomic Status, and Children's Everyday Lives in Chandrapur

This exploratory study examines how socioeconomic conditions, parenting practices, and digital media interact to shape children’s everyday experiences in Chandrapur- 06, Rautahat, Nepal. Guided by a pragmatic research philosophy, the study employed a qualitative-dominant convergent mixed-methods design involving 50 purposively selected families with children aged 10–18. Structured questionnaires gathered information on digital-device access, screen exposure, family interaction, household responsibilities, parental availability, and children’s engagement with outdoor and community activities. Unstructured interviews provided further insight into family routines, technological expectations, parental practices, and children’s everyday experiences. The data were integrated through thematic analysis and qualitative cross-case comparison across socioeconomic groups. The findings revealed different configurations of opportunities and constraints. Higher-income households generally reported greater access to personal digital devices and more individualized leisure, sometimes accompanied by less participation in shared family routines. Lower-middle-income households showed the strongest tension between children’s technological aspirations and household affordability while maintaining regular family interaction through household responsibilities. Lower-income households reported more limited digital access but greater participation in shared routines, outdoor activities, and community life. These patterns, however, do not demonstrate that technology or income directly determines children’s personalities or developmental outcomes. Rather, the influence of digital media appears to be mediated by parental supervision, emotional availability, household routines, and socioeconomic resources. The study therefore emphasizes balanced media use, responsive parenting, critical media literacy, and equitable access to educational technology. It concludes that a healthy digital childhood requires both meaningful digital opportunities and supportive family and community relationships.