Digital Parenting Practices among Single Mothers in Early Adulthood in Madura

Abstract

The development of digital technology has a significant impact on parenting patterns, including for single mothers in early adulthood who face the dual challenges of being breadwinners and caregivers. This phenomenon also occurs in Madura, which has a high divorce rate. The risk of gadget dependency in children highlights the importance of digital parenting in child-rearing. This study aims to describe the digital parenting model applied in childcare practices by single mothers in early adulthood in Madura. The method used is qualitative with a case study approach, with data collection techniques through in-depth interviews. The research subjects consisted of single mothers aged 18–40 years in Madura who were raising children without the presence of a husband, either due to divorce or the death of their spouse. Data analysis used pattern matching, which compares field findings with predicted patterns to strengthen validity and draw research conclusions. The results showed that most early adult single mothers in Madura tended to apply active mediation, while others used restrictive mediation in digital parenting practices. These findings are expected to contribute to early adult single mothers in improving their literacy regarding digital parenting and supporting the effectiveness of parenting patterns in the digital era.