The Influence of Socio Economic Parent on Using Digital Media in Early Childhood

Abstract

Technological advancements entering the industrial era 4.0 bring changes to all aspects of human life including children especially in their use of social digital media. This study aims to examine the effect of parents' education level and economic level on their children's use of digital media in early childhood. In this quantitative research, an online questionnaire bundle Surveillance of Digital Media habits in Early Childhood Questionnare (SMALLQ) was employed to measure the digital literacy of parents with younger children. This study involved 100 parents with an average age of 33.04 years, height 157.02 cm, and weight 56.41 kg. Their children consisted of 63 boys and 37 girls with an average age of 4.65 years, height 101.90 cm, and weight 17.06 kg. The results showed that the average use of digital media was still high, exceeding the guidelines of the WHO which recommends the use of digital media only one hour per day. This study also showed that the level of parents' education had an effect on the use of gadgets, while the economic level of the parents had no effect on the usage of gadgets on the children. These results suggest that technology literacy is needed by parents in order to be able to regulate their children use of digital media.

The Relationship between Maternal Media Literacy and Children's Media Literacy

“…Soltani et al (2016) showed that the quantity and quality of mothers' media use with their 4 to 7year-old children are related to the children's lesser use of certain media (Soltanal-Qara'ee & Mola Ghalghachi, 2015). Fauziah et al (2023) demonstrated that the required level of technology literacy among parents could regulate children's digital consumption in selecting media content and tools. Brohl et al (2013) found that providing media literacy education to mothers under the supervision of the Canadian Public Health Organization has led to meaningful and purposeful use of media in children (Fauziah et al, 2023).…”

“…Fauziah et al (2023) demonstrated that the required level of technology literacy among parents could regulate children's digital consumption in selecting media content and tools. Brohl et al (2013) found that providing media literacy education to mothers under the supervision of the Canadian Public Health Organization has led to meaningful and purposeful use of media in children (Fauziah et al, 2023).…”

“…Some researches indicate that media literacy can play an influential role in reducing virtual space harms and promoting critical and intelligent use of the internet (Fauziah et al, 2023). Additionally, media literacy can be effective in reducing internet harms.…”

“…Undoubtedly, parental media literacy will be decisive in children's achievement of proper media use. Among parents, mothers play a more pivotal role in media literacy, shaping the fundamental cultural and cognitive foundations of their children (Fauziah et al, 2023). Maternal media literacy and their supervisory methods act as protective factors against some negative outcomes, such as substance use (Haryanto et al, 2022).…”

Psychological Interventions for Early Life Trauma in the Digital Age Childhood

“…However, the effective integration of educational technologies into early childhood education remains a significant challenge, requiring careful consideration of pedagogical practices and the impact of digital technologies on children's learning and development (Vidal-Hall et al, 2020). The influence of socio-economic factors on children's use of digital media in early childhood has also been investigated, emphasizing the need to address disparities in access to digital technologies among young children (Fauziah et al, 2023).…”