Parenting on a digital leash: time pressure, parenting guilt, and emotional exhaustion in Chinese dual-earner families

Zhongya Ji, Yao Lu, Guanxin Yao

Background Digital tools are increasingly integrated into parenting, but their psychological costs remain unclear. This study investigates whether digitally-mediated parenting intensity predicts emotional exhaustion among Chinese dual-earner parents, and whether time pressure and parenting guilt mediate this relationship. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 713 dual-earner parents from 45 communities across 13 cities in Jiangsu Province, China. Participants completed measures of digital parenting intensity, time pressure, parenting guilt, and emotional exhaustion. We tested the measurement model and the hypothesized mediation paths with item-level latent-variable structural equation modeling (SEM), using maximum likelihood estimation and 5,000 bootstrap samples. Results The four-factor measurement model fitted the data well, χ 2 (59) = 92.13, p = 0.004, CFI = 0.990, TLI = 0.987, RMSEA = 0.028, SRMR = 0.026, and fitted substantially better than a single-factor model. In the structural model, digital parenting intensity predicted emotional exhaustion directly [β = 0.294, 95% CI (0.184, 0.422)] and indirectly through time pressure [β = 0.099, 95% CI (0.016, 0.184)] and parenting guilt [β = 0.157, 95% CI (0.090, 0.228)]. The total indirect effect was also significant [β = 0.256, 95% CI (0.180, 0.340)]. Conclusion Digitally mediated parenting was associated with emotional exhaustion through time pressure and parenting guilt. In this study, the “digital leash” was reflected in school communication, online check-ins, parenting information seeking, and public sharing, which kept dual-earner parents connected to childcare demands even outside the family setting.