The Role of Parents in Assisting the Use of Gadget in Alpha Generation

Abstract

This research is aim to know the information about the role of parents in assisting the use of gadget and parental supervision in generation alpha. The generation alpha are children born from 2010-2025. They are also known as the children of the millennials who is born along gadgets such as tablet, computer and smartphone. The sample of this research are 250 parents who had children from age 0-9 years old in Pekanbaru. The methodology used is descriptive quantitative approach. Result that can be concluded from the data analysis, 86% of parents supervise children in using gadgets and 81% set rules for their children. Parents gain knowledge about the negative effect of gadgets overuse in children 37% from social media and 45% parents see the gadget as the source of information for their children. Parents can’t avoid children from gadgets, what they can do is to set rules and supervise the use of it to get the positive effect of this technology. Social media is the most effective media to share information about parenting in digital age, so the stakeholder such as government, campus and parenting institution, may use it to reach more parents and share information about gadgets awareness for generation alpha.