The role of digital technology in teen mothers’ and their children’s literacy

Abstract

Teen mothers and their children are often seen as being involved in a cycle of low literacy. However, as people whose lives have paralleled societal changes in literacy and digital technology, there is a possibility that the literacy experiences of today’s teen mothers and their children differ from those of the past. This study explores the role of digital technology in the literacy lives of teen mothers and their children. Eight teen mothers were interviewed about their recollections of their early childhoods as well as their contemporary experiences with digital technology in their own lives and in the lives of their children. The early experiences of teen mothers were both educational and entertainment oriented, whereas their later experiences are quite varied. However, the experiences that their children have with digital technology and literacy reflect a prioritization of educational uses as well as a managed approach to their children’s engagements that also emphasizes the children’s interests and development.

Chopsticks and clothes: Chinese heritage parents' perspectives on young children's technology use as a tool for language and cultural learning

“…With reference to research contexts in the Global North, Vidal‐Hall et al (2020) argue that technology should be integrated purposefully into classroom pedagogy. Over the past 20 years, research has reported that parents have both positive and negative views about the use of technology in homes and classrooms (Downes, 2002; Murphy and Headley, 2020; Plowman et al, 2012; Rideout, 2007).…”

Unboxing care: Constructions of happiness and gratitude in a Brazilian transnational family’s video production in the United States

“…Such context has potentially extended their use of digital technology and created spaces for new literacies to emerge (Anderson et al., 2010; Berry et al., 2012). For example, Murphy and Headley (2020) showed that widespread accessibility and affordability of mobile digital devices affected how teen mothers used digital tools. The mothers transcended the typical purposes of digital tools for education or entertainment from when they were growing up, using these tools to support their daily routines and enculturate their children into specific literacies.…”

Μια Επισκόπηση Του Πεδίου Των Εκπαιδευτικών Φορητών Εφαρμογών Για Παιδιά Προσχολικής Και Πρώτης Σχολικής Ηλικίας.

“…Είναι επαρκές τεκμηριωμένο ότι, οι απόψεις και οι αντιλήψεις των γονέων σχετικά με τις ψηφιακές συσκευές μπορούν να επηρεάσουν τον τρόπο με τον οποίο υποστηρίζουν τη συμμετοχή των παιδιών τους στα ψηφιακά μέσα (Livingstone, Mascheroni, Dreier, Chaudron & Lagae, 2015;Palaigeorgiou, Kamarina, Bratitsis & Xefteris, 2017). Γενικά, το μορφωτικό επίπεδο των γονέων, οι προσωπικές ψηφιακές εμπειρίες καθώς και τα οικογενειακά χαρακτηριστικά, είναι σημαντικοί παράγοντες που επιδρούν στις γονικές πεποιθήσεις σχετικά με τη χρήση των ψηφιακών μέσων από τα παιδιά τους (Erdogan et al, 2018;Murphy & Headley, 2018). Για παράδειγμα, οι γονείς στον Δυτικό κόσμο έχουν θετική στάση για τη χρήση φορητών συσκευών από τα παιδιά νεαρής ηλικίας (Wartella et al, 2013).…”