ICT use and parental mediation perceived by Chilean children

Abstract

The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has extended to all contexts of our lives in the last few years, modifying our communication, learning, entertainment and socialization habits. The aim of the present research is to investigate about primary-age children's habits with these tools, as well as these children's perception of parental mediation in this area. In this study we used an ex post facto descriptive methodology by survey. A questionnaire was applied for data recollection to 422 children of private schools in Santiago de Chile aged between 9 and 12 years old. The results point to an early access to electronic devices and the transversal and homogeneous use during childhood. There is no doubt that ICTs play an active role in daily life for most of these children. No significant differences in age or sex were detected in our study, but we encountered risky behaviours in how children use ICTs and in their perception of parental mediation. The complexity becomes more evident the more time they have with electronic devices connected to the Internet without adult supervision. This finding raises the need for the application of intervention programs on parental mediation of children's use of ICTs in order to promote a safe, responsible and ethical use of these tools. El uso de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) se ha ido masificando en los últimos años, modificando los hábitos de comunicación, aprendizaje, entretenimiento y de socialización. Hemos investigado sobre los hábitos de los menores con dichas herramientas, además de su percepción de la mediación parental en este terreno. Se presenta un estudio exploratorio, en el que se emplea metodología ex post facto descriptiva por encuesta, con un cuestionario como instrumento de recolección de datos aplicado a 422 niños/as de 9-12 años de colegios privados de Santiago de Chile. Los resultados indican que las TIC forman parte de la vida cotidiana para la mayoría de los niños/as. A pesar de no apreciarse diferencias significativas, en edad y género, se encontraron comportamientos de riesgo entre las características de uso y en la percepción de la mediación parental, por lo que vislumbramos la necesidad de implementar programas de intervención sobre mediación parental en el uso de las TIC, para así promover un uso seguro, responsable y ético de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación. De los resultados deriva la reflexión en cuanto a la importancia de formar y fomentar desde temprana edad en el uso idóneo de las TIC, considerando que estas herramientas son utilizadas de forma cada vez más transversal y homogénea entre los más jóvenes.

What are young people doing on Internet? Use of ICT, parental supervision strategies and exposure to risks

“…The results regarding children's and adolescents' generalized access to and use of the cell phone and computer confirm the ease and widespread nature of ICT use that has already been demonstrated in previous studies in Spain (Alfaro et al, 2015;Berríos et al, 2015;Ministerio del Interior, 2014;ONTSI, 2016). Although most schoolchildren from the Region of Murcia claimed to use the cell phone and computer between one and two hours per day, 10-15% confirmed that they spend more than four hours per day on the cell phone and on the computer, respectively.…”

“…International results, furthermore, indicate that families are largely unaware of the risks on Internet or of their children's activities online (Symons, Ponnet, Emmery, Walrave & Heirman, 2017). Age also seems to be a factor in parental supervision, with parental supervision declining as the children become adolescents, confirmed also in previous studies (Berríos et al, 2015). This is a bit striking, concurring with the fact that the peer group becomes the primary point of reference for the adolescent, and becomes the adolescent's support in online activities and its dangers (Jiménez, Garmendia & Casado, 2015).…”

“…In recent years, subsequent studies have tried to determine what strategies are being used by fathers and mothers in seeking to supervise. In most of these studies, a large proportion of school children report that they are not being supervised by their parents when accessing Internet, nor are time limits imposed (Berríos, Buxarrais & Garcés, 2015); at the same time, parents tend to overestimate their involvement (Garmendia, Casado, Martínez & Garitaonandia, 2013). Colás, González and de Pablos (2013) further specify that social networks are adolescents' tool of choice for communication and socialization, and that only 22% claim to have any kind of regulation from their parents when they use them.…”

¿Qué hacen los menores en internet? Usos de las TIC, estrategias de supervisión parental y exposición a riesgos

“…En los últimos años se han sucedido estudios que tratan de conocer las estrategias que padres y madres ponen en marcha en su labor de supervisión. La mayor parte de ellos concluye que, gran parte de los escolares afirman no ser supervisados por sus padres durante su acceso a internet como tampoco tener impuestos horarios (Berríos, Buxarrais y Garcés, 2015), mientras que a la par los padres tienden a sobreestimar tal labor (Garmendia, Casado, Martínez y Garitaonandia, 2013). Esto se concreta además en la herramienta de las redes sociales de uso preferente en la comunicación y socialización de los y las adolescentes, donde se encuentra únicamente un 22% que afirman tener algún tipo de regulación por parte de sus padres cuando las utilizan (Colás, González y de Pablos, 2013).…”

Creation of a Mobile App for the Promotion of Social Skills as a Way out of Cyberbullyng Situations for Intercultural Reasons

“…However, in several investigations they indicate that adolescents are the most vulnerable group in the problematic use of mobile phones, since they are exposed to ICT from their childhood and are provided without any previous specific training, which leads them to what is today known as cyberbullying. (Gil, et al, 2015;Berríos et al, 2015).…”