Young Children's Engagement With Digital Technologies in the Family Context

Abstract

Although more and more children engage in daily online activities with digital technologies, the roles that online technologies play in children's lives are still understudied. This article aims at identifying the role of digital devices as well as practices in which young children are engaged at home. It also strives to explore digital literacy practices and to research how these are embedded into the family context. The case study of Lithuania discussed in this article contributes with new knowledge about the local contexts and may help to understand the main problems to be further worked upon with on a global and European scale. The research of young children and their engagement with digital technology in Lithuania comes as part of the EC JRC project “Young Children (0–8) and Digital Technologies.” The findings reveal that although children perceive online technologies and the use of smart devices as entertainment and relaxation, they are not addicted. Several factors affect young children's uses and skills of digital technologies, including family constitution and parental styles.

PROCESSOS DE MIDIATIZAÇÃO DA PEQUENA INFÂNCIA: um estudo exploratório com crianças de 4 e 5 anos

“…Em meio aos paradoxos, um consenso: pesquisas demonstram que a relação das crianças com as diferentes mídias é um fenômeno global, embora apresentem especificidades quanto ao uso e produção de conteúdos, a partir de seus pertencimentos geográfico, social, cultural e econômico (LEMISH, 2015;BRITO, 2015;SAPSAGLAN, 2018;IZCI et al, 2019;LIUBINIENĖ;KASPERAVIČIEN, 2019). Segundo Hjarvard (2013), há em curso o processo de midiatização da infância, que se manifesta de forma direta ou indireta.…”