Why parents of children aged 4–6 use generative AI: a qualitative interview study
Children and Youth Services Review, cilt.189, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 189
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2026.109196
- Dergi Adı: Children and Youth Services Review
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Child Development & Adolescent Studies, CINAHL, EBSCO Education Source, Education Abstracts, Educational research abstracts (ERA), Psycinfo, Public Affairs Index, Social Sciences Abstracts, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Education Source Ultimate (EBSCO)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Algorithmic trust, Child privacy, Digital parenting, Family support, Parental decision-making, Preschool children
- Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Generative artificial intelligence tools (e.g., ChatGPT) are increasingly used for everyday problem-solving, yet little is known about why parents use these systems in early childhood parenting and how they manage privacy, trust, and responsibility when child-related concerns are involved. This qualitative, exploratory descriptive study examined parents’ reasons for using generative AI in relation to children aged 4–6 and the boundaries they set around such use. Online semi-structured interviews were conducted with 40 parents (20 mothers, 20 fathers) living in Ankara, İstanbul, and Denizli, Türkiye. Participants were purposively selected to include mothers and fathers from three cities who had used at least one generative AI tool within the past 12 months for a parenting-related or everyday family-life purpose. Interviews explored motivations for use, parenting situations that prompted consultation, perceived benefits and limitations, and privacy practices. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings showed that parents used generative AI for in-the-moment parenting guidance, age-appropriate explanations of difficult topics, activity and routine generation, parental self-regulation and repair, and boundary management around privacy and responsibility. Parents generally treated generative AI as a practical, context-dependent aid rather than as a parenting authority. They valued its speed and flexibility, but also described safeguards such as cross-checking outputs, withholding identifying child information, and seeking professional support for high-stakes concerns. The findings suggest that parent-facing generative AI use has child-facing implications for communication, routines, emotional support, privacy, and help-seeking in early childhood.