Fathers' digital parenting awareness and child rearing attitudes in the digital transformation era

The rapid changes occurring within the structure of society have led to cultural shifts; factors such as the transformations of lifestyles and the growing participation of women in the workforce have significantly reshaped the roles of mothers and fathers within the family. With this transition in traditional roles, fathers today have evolved from merely supporting the mother to becoming actively engaged in child care. Technological developments have also transformed parenting responsibilities, giving rise to the concept of the "digital parent." In this context, the aim of the study is to investigate fathers' awareness of digital parenting during the digital transformation process and how this awareness reflects on their parenting attitudes, thereby exploring the roles fathers assume in the digital world. The study examines fathers' views on digital parenting awareness and parenting attitudes in the digital age. A case study design, one of the qualitative research methods, was utilized. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and evaluated using content analysis. The participants in the study consisted of 13 married fathers residing in the Pendik district of Istanbul with children aged 11-13. According to the findings of the study, fathers stated that they were aware of the risks their children might encounter in the digital environment. However, it was found that parental attitudes towards the use of digital technology had a negative impact.