Document Type

Article

Author ORCID Identifier

Hanieh Atashpanjeh  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7626-629X  

Prakriti Dumaru  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6326-5810

Mahdi Nasrullah Al-Ameen  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5764-2253

Journal/Book Title/Conference

International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction

Volume

42

Issue

15

Publisher

Taylor & Francis Inc.

Publication Date

1-5-2026

Journal Article Version

Accepted Manuscript

First Page

11889

Last Page

11922

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Abstract

Parental control apps often use restrictive approaches that children find invasive due to a lack of explanation for the restrictions, harming parent-child relationships. To this end, we employed a reasoning-based approach; inspired by Fogg’s Behavior Model, we leveraged fear appeal to enhance motivation through illustrating the potential consequences of unregulated device usage. We communicated these elements through story-based designs, drawing on the efficacy of digital storytelling to influence behavior and support children’s understanding. Our narratives are built on top of two core features—screen time limits and content filtering—of Google’s existing parental control app, Family Link. We developed these narratives through two focus group sessions with six child development experts, who emphasized the importance of positive framing alongside depicting consequences. We then evaluated our story-based designs through semi-structured interviews with 18 children, aged 8–12. Our participants appreciated the clear reasoning behind restrictions, helping them connect their actions with consequences and encouraging compliance, self-regulation, and open communication with parents. Based on our findings, we provide guidelines for designing inclusive, child-centered parental control apps.

Download

Available for download on Tuesday, January 05, 2027

Share

COinS