This qualitative case study investigates how parents in a rural, collectivist setting cultivate responsible digital habits in their children by incorporating religious principles, open communication, digital literacy, civic engagement, and global consciousness. The research employed in-depth interviews with thirty parents representing three primary occupations—educators, laborers, and entrepreneurs—supplemented by participatory observation and document analysis. The results demonstrate that religious values, especially those derived from Islamic teachings, provide a core ethical structure governing children's device usage. This framework is bolstered by transparent family dialogue and community-oriented activities, including Quranic education, which foster a culture of shared oversight and discipline. Nonetheless, socioeconomic inequities, such as the time poverty experienced by lower-income families, impede consistent parental supervision. By integrating socio-religious factors into its analysis, this research contributes a contextualized model of digital parenting tailored to rural collectivist societies. Practical implications include the development of community-based digital literacy initiatives and cross-sector collaborations aimed at strengthening family resilience. By comparing these findings with urban and secular contexts, this research contributes to the global discourse on culturally sensitive technology-based parenting strategies. • Religious values form the core ethical framework for digital habits. • Effective strategy blends religious principles with open communication. • Socioeconomic barriers like time poverty hinder consistent supervision. • Proposes a contextualized digital parenting model for collectivist societies. • Recommends community-based initiatives to strengthen family digital resilience.
Muchtarom et al. (Tue,) studied this question.