More Than Just Limits: How Technology Can Support Parents in Regulating Children's Eating Behaviors at Family Mealtimes

To alleviate concerns regarding technology use at family mealtimes, this study explored how specific technological probes (including augmented utensils, screen-based designs, and smart objects) can aid parents in regulating children's eating behavior. Our two-phase investigation included remote observations of 25 families with children aged 3-7 to unobtrusively understand parent-child interactions. This was complemented by retrospective semi-structured interviews to delve into food parenting practices and technology-related preferences and concerns. Our study uncovered a mismatch between parents' perceptions and the actual eating behaviors of children, emphasizing the significance of technology in both regulating eating habits and offering objective insights to parents. While screen-based technologies were identified as the most feasible and desirable option for managing children's eating, we proposed enhancing their functionality by integrating parental involvement and control mechanisms along with mitigating adoption barriers (e.g., technology dependence and distraction) to better support parental intervention during family meals.