Skilled but Naive: Young Children’s Experiences of Digital Technologies

• In Event: Children, Adolescents, and Media: Research Escalator 2

Abstract

Just as adolescents’ interactions with technology, young children’s use of digital technologies may also present them with both opportunities and risks. In particular, young children`s digital encounters may pose specific challenges because very young children often lack operational or critical skills while engaging with digital technologies. This paper aims to study the use of digital technology by young children (0-8) by interviewing 15 families (parents and children separately). The results indicate that children and families` use of digital technologies varies considerably in terms of activities, knowledge, motives and digital skills. These differences relate to a number of internal factors (e.g. family dynamics, parental mediation) and external ones (e.g. the school children attend, the influence from extended family members and peers).

Authors

• Veronica Donoso, Catholic U - Leuven

• Wannes Ribbens, Erasmus University Rotterdam