A qualitative case study about overuse of digital play at home

Abstract

The prevalence of digital play devices, including tablets and smartphones, has led to overuse among some young children. The purpose of this research is to examine the overuse cases among young children. Participants of this qualitative case study were five children aged five to seven years, their parents, and a psychiatrist. The data were mainly obtained through semi-structured interviews. Interviews were further supported by close observations, a collection of digital play diaries, as well as an interview with a psychiatrist who specializes in childhood gaming addiction. Then data analyzed using content analysis techniques. The results are presented in five themes: practices, reasons, feelings about overuse, restricting playtime, and content. The first three themes described the nature of the overuse, while the last two themes described the parents’ efforts to restrict their children’s digital play. Findings revealed that the joint effects of different factors triggered children’s overuse, that parents and children felt a range of emotions from happiness to aggression, and that parents’ restrictive mediation strategies were mostly infective.

An Investigation of Factors Influencing Attitudes Towards Online and Offline Games with the Moderator Effects of Gender in Iran

“…This suggests that mobility and privacy are more valued than the quality of the display. Similar studies conducted in Turkey have also reported that approximately 70% of Internet users play online games at home (Ilgaz & İnci, 2020; Işıkoğlu et al, 2023).…”

“…This suggests that mobility and privacy are more valued than the quality of the display. Similar studies conducted in Turkey have also reported that approximately 70% of Internet users play online games at home (Ilgaz & İnci, 2020;Işıkoğlu et al, 2023). Labrador et al (2023) also concluded that the inclination towards online gaming, whether in an individual or group setting, was significantly higher among males, accounting for 57.0% of the participants, in contrast to females, who constituted a mere 14.4%.…”

A Scoping Review of Digital Well-Being in Early Childhood: Definitions, Measurements, Contributors, and Interventions

“…For example, parental guidance and support can result in cognitive or social-emotional benefits and self-regulation in children’s digital engagement [ 25 ]. In contrast, restrictive strategies have no such helpful outcomes and are less effective in controlling digital use time [ 79 ]. Therefore, by encouraging active discussion and supporting early digital usage, parents could optimize the messages provided by positive digital content [ 80 ] and build children’s skills and agency [ 25 ].…”

The effect of educational game design process on students’ creativity

“…Research shows that both children and adolescents spend a significant amount of time playing digital games in their daily lives (Işıkoğlu et al, 2021). However, games are not limited to the activities that students prefer to have a pleasant time in the last few years.…”