EXPLORING THE ROLE OF MALAYSIAN MUSLIM MOTHERS IN MEDIATING THEIR CHILDREN'S YOUTUBE USAGE

Abstract: In this digital era, YouTube has become prominent in children's lives as a source of entertainment and education. Nonetheless, parents face conundrum in controlling or monitoring their children activities on YouTube. This research explores the significant role that Malaysian Muslim mothers play in mediating their children's engagement with YouTube. We aim to gain insights into the mothers' mediation strategies through in-depth interviews with three informants. Using a purposive sampling technique, we selected three Malaysian Muslim mothers of children aged 3-8 years old who actively viewed YouTube. We conducted semi-structured interviews, which allowed the informants to share their strategies, challenges, and perspectives regarding their children's YouTube usage. A thematic analysis based on mediation strategies theories was conducted to extract critical insights, including - 1) rules and guidelines, 2) mothers' roles, and 3) Islamic influences. The findings of this study suggest the used of restrictive and instructive mediation strategies to manage children's media consumption. These strategies aim to strike a balance between allowing children some autonomy in their media choices and ensuring the content aligns with the family's values and educational goals. They actively set time limits, verify the content, recommend Islamic content and explain the significance of good and bad content. Their commitment reflects a dynamic relationship between religious faith and digital parenting practices within the Malaysian Muslim context. Keywords: Children; Mediating; Muslim mothers; Parenting; YouTube