"Its Changes so Often": Parental Non-/Use of Mobile Devices While Caring for Infants and Toddlers at Home

Parents' use of mobile devices (tablets and mobile phones) while caring for children is considered to be beneficial, but also problematic. In this study, we aimed to understand parents' technology non-/use practices around infants and toddlers in the domestic setting and to survey parents' opinions about their partners' practices. To this end, we collected data from parents from seventeen families, using diaries and interviews. We found that as parents grapple with multiple and often conflicting motivations and needs, they adopt or shift among four non-/use positions. Our findings also show that adult family members believe that their partner's use is more problematic than theirs and that the other person does not abide by mutually decided norms. Furthermore, parents often have conflicting opinions about how one should shape one's technological practices around children. Based on our findings, we propose new design directions for technology that can support caregivers in the domestic setting.