“Synchronized parenting is like mixing oil and water”: Reimagining Parental Control for Co-parenting in the Divorced Households

Children from divorced households are granted access to devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets), helping them to maintain meaningful contact with both parents. However, regulating their device usage across two households presents unique co-parenting challenges, which are little studied in the existing literature on parental mediation. As we begin to address this gap, we used low-fidelity prototype designs, guided by the principles of fostering open communication and instilling self-regulation. We evaluated those designs (presented in the form of storyboards) through semi-structured interviews with 23 divorced parents, whose children are active Internet users and aged 13 years or below. Based on our analysis, we identified six distinct personas under four co-parenting types: conflicted, cooperative, parallel, and uninvolved. We then validated these personas through three focus group sessions with seven divorced parents. Within the context of these personas, we delve into diverse co-parenting challenges, shed light on the perceived benefits of the design in addressing those challenges, and outline design modifications suggested by parents to suit various co-parenting situations. The insights from our studies offer recommendations and guidelines for future research in the sphere of dynamic co-parenting.