Childhood use of mobile devices: Influence of mothers’ socio-educational level

Abstract

The presence and variety of mobile devices in Spanish homes, regardless of the social and economic con-text, has been widespread for years. Several studies focus on parental mediation in children's consumption of smart devices, however, there is a lack of scientific evidence about how the educational level and the professional profile of parents affect children’s digital media consumption. This study analyzes the influence of the socio-educational level of families on the consumption of digital screens. The study deepens the understanding on the educational level of parents, as well as their professional category. A quantitative methodology was applied on a sample of 792 primary school children, between 5 and 9 years of age, in three Spanish cities. The consumption of television, smartphones, tablets, computers and videogames was analyzed. Results indicate that, the lower the level of education and professional category of the mother, the greater the consumption of content through smart devices by children. The study demonstrates, there-fore, the importance of considering the educational and professional levels of mothers and fathers for a better understanding of the consumption of digital screens and, at the same time, as an opportunity for designing family strategies that encourage critical thinking and digital media education. La presencia y la variedad de dispositivos móviles en los hogares españoles, con independencia del contexto social y económico, es una realidad normalizada desde hace años. Diversos estudios se centran en la mediación parental en el consumo infantil de pantallas inteligentes, aunque existe una falta de evidencia científica sobre cómo el nivel de formación y el perfil profesional de las madres y de los padres inciden en las formas de consumo mediático digital de los menores. Este estudio analiza la influencia del nivel socioeducativo de las familias en el consumo de pantallas inteligentes. La investigación profundiza en el nivel de estudios de madres y padres, así como en su categoría profesional. Para ello se utiliza una metodología cuantitativa a partir de una muestra de 792 niños y niñas de primaria, de entre 5 y 9 años, de tres ciudades españolas. Se analiza el consumo de televisión, teléfonos móviles, tabletas, ordenadores y videojuegos. Los resultados señalan que, a menor nivel de estudios y menor categoría profesional de la madre, mayor es el consumo de contenidos a través de dispositivos móviles por parte de los menores. El estudio demuestra la importancia de considerar el nivel educativo y profesional de las madres y de los padres como oportunidad para entender mejor el consumo de pantallas inteligentes y para diseñar estrategias familiares que fomenten el pensamiento crítico y la educación mediática digital.

Experiences with and Risks of Internet Use Among Children in Kosovo

“…However, mediation is often also related to the socio-economic status of the family, parenting styles and family composition. The educational and professional level of parents is directly related to the digital consumer culture that the child has and their critical thinking while on technological aids (Jiménez-Morales et al 2020).…”

Methodology, Technology and Practice of Organizing Media Education Seminars and Workshops for Teachers on Promoting Interethnic Tolerance in the University Student Community

“…According to contemporary media education studies approaches (Akhmedzyanova, 2011;Bazalgette, 1992;Buckingham, 1993Buckingham, , 2014Chelysheva, Mikhaleva, 2019Fedorov, 2007Fedorov, , 2015Fedorov et al, 2020;Fedorov, Levitskaya, 2020;2021;Gáliková Tolnaiová, 2021;Halloran, 1998;Kačinová, 2019;Khilko, 2013;Levitskaya, Fedorov, 2021;Masterman, 1996;Ramasubramanian, 2007Ramasubramanian, , 2011Rubtsova, 2013;Silverblatt, 2001;Vinichenko, 2011Vinichenko, , 2017Weber, 2018;Worsnop, 2004;Vrabec, Bôtošová, 2020;Zhmyrova, Monastyrskiy, 2012), media education plays an increasingly important role in the process of overcoming and preventing the risks of interethnic intolerance. It implies developing a culture of communication with media production including critical thinking and analytical skills.…”

“…This research devotes special attention to those skills associated with the process of acquisition and the ability of the child when using technical and safety possibilities of the smartphones, that are part of the technical and operational skills proposed in the context of the EU Kids Online project (Van Deursen et al, 2016) and later reviewed and updated (Helsper et al, 2021). Besides the technical and operational skills these authors also identified navigation and information process skills; communication and interaction skills and content creation and production skills.…”

Análisis del estado del arte sobre el uso de los videojuegos en Educación Infantil y Primaria

“…Muestra de ello, es la influencia del nivel socioeducativo de las familias en el consumo de pantallas inteligentes, encontrada por Jiménez-Morales et al (2020). Además, Al Saud (2017) manifiesta que el emplear videojuegos permite mejorar las habilidades sociales de todo el alumnado y reducir tanto la brecha digital…”