Table 1.

Parental recommendations for prevention needs relating to gaming and social media addiction.

Themes and Subthemes	Verbatim Examples
Theme 1: Schools as Digital Education Providers and Prevention Hubs
Digital education: a new role for schools Schools should report more on use and content Conduct research on students’ self-awareness of use, time spent on devices and digital learning needs Evidence on use of iPads and academic achievement and positive impact from use	“It is probably a new role for the school but I think that is the way we are going as a society.” (I2F, 46 years) “An information point for the parents … any research that has come recently, lectures, or any new evidence how it affects their learning or their mood.” (I5F, 44 years) “A need to know more about electronic media, maybe lectures from professors who know more about it.” (I6F, 39 years) “School should conduct a study to ask the students ‘do you think you spend too much time on and what kind of things do you want to know?’ would be interesting to see what they say.” (I7F, 49 years) “I think they should be doing more analysis as to whether things are improving or not related to academic achievement. Is having an iPad improving their educational achievement?” (I8M, 50 years) “They can use the one device (iPad) and would be good as part of that how much time they are on it and what they are accessing.” (I1F, 42 years)
Theme 2: Provision of Mental Health Literacy
A priority with equal weight to drugs/alcohol prevention Include prevention in formal education system across year groups Mental health literacy for parents via schools Prevention with interactive delivery External advisors to lead on training/education	“But I think they have to bring in a program about the usage of their devices because it is another addiction.” (I2F, 46 years) “I would really like to have a professional body deliver a program because there are teachers who don’t understand the implications, perhaps are older, have grown up children, and have not really lived in this world of having apps.” (I1F, 42 years) “You should educate adults.” (I3M, 39 years) “An interactive type of approach, doing a lesson type wouldn’t do it, like when they are covering drugs: ‘don’t do drugs ‘they kind of know that, and I think that is the big problem, they switch off, well first of all because they think they know about it.” (I4M, 53 years)
Theme 3: Psychoeducation and Upskilling
Time-related impacts Time spent online Sleep Impacts Offline/online balance	“I think having that overview of use, even though I don’t know how much I am using either, so I would also be interested in my own usage.” (I6F, 39 years) “Comments that you think that are quite hurtful in a chat situation, or bullying, inappropriate pictures, being posted things like that” (I7F, 49 years).
Content-related impacts Interpersonal communication problems Hostillity Peer influence and popularity Emotional impacts	“We have not gotten to sexting, where is the next thing, when boyfriends come in their lives, that is another thing, handling their relationships online and how to play that out.” (I8M, 50 years) “…so it is difficult to say because girls can get offended if not answered: ‘well why did you not answer me?” (I2F, 46 years)
Context-related impacts Discuss consequences Balance evidence on positives-negatives Balance privacy/disclosure Balance home/public use Assess gender differences	“I think it would be quite good if they talk about what would happen if you are on it too much, or if you are not sleeping, like the consequences.” (I3M, 39 years) “I think self-realization is a key skill, if they don’t realize, possibly other things that they can do and get involved in. For example, they don’t get involved in conversations, or they are too isolated to make friendships more easily” (I4M, 53 years)
Skill development	“Empower them with the skills to be able to filter, ‘oh I don’t respect what they are saying or I disagree with that’ and to have the skills to do that.” (I9F, 41 years)