Donell Holloway|Lelia Green|Kylie J. Stevenson
Digitods: Toddlers, Touch Screens and Australian Family Life
Edith Cowan University
introduction children beginning use digital technologies younger younger ages emerging trend young children babies toddlers preschoolers using internet connected devices especially touch screen tablets smartphones elicited polarising opinions early childhood experts present little actual research risks benefits tablet smartphone use young children current usage recommendations based research passive television watching claims screen time detrimental conflict advice education experts app developers commend interactive screen time engaging educational guidelines health professions typically advise strict time limits young childrens screentime based part policy developed american academy paediatrics usually recommended children two screen time brown children age two hours day strasburger et al hand early childhood education guidelines promote development digital literacy skills department education educationbased research indicates access computers internet preschool years associated overall educational achievement bittman et al cavanaugh et al judge et al neumann us based national association education young childrens position statement technology zero eight yearolds declares used intentionally appropriately technology interactive media effective tools support learning development naeyc article discusses notion digitodsa name children born since introduction iphone 2007 ready access touchscreen technologies since birth reports limited availability evidencebased research childrens ict use concluding current research recommendations grounded everyday life young children families article reports beginnings research project funded australian research council entitled toddlers tablets exploring risks benefits 05s face online research project recognises stage parents real experts toddlers use screen technologies accordingly projects methodological approach draws parents preschoolers families communities practice construction social meaning around toddlers use touch screen technology digitods 2000 bill gates introduced notion generation describe first cohort children raised internet reality lives born 1990s cases memory life without net generation able conceive internets possibilities far profoundly today new generation become agents change limits internet expand include educational scientific business applications cannot even imagine gatesdigitods hand term used education literature leathers et al describe children born introduction iphone 2007 children often begin lives ready access internet via easily usable touch screen devices could designed toddlers touch swipe movements mind youngest group children actively engage internet first group grow range mobile internet devices leathers et al difference digitods gatess generation digitods first preverbal nonambulant infants ready access digital technologies somewhere around age 10 months fourteen months baby learns point forefinger stage child ready swipe tap touch screen leathers et al contrast laptops pcs given young children often need assistance use mouse keyboard mobility touch screen devices allows young children play kitchen table bedroom car trip mobile devices course myriad mobile apps go apps create immediacy access infants preschoolers need open web browser find favourite sites lives children seems always possible touch swipe way games books creative communicative experiences holloway et al 149 interactivity preschool apps opposed passive screen activities watching television shows videos offline online requires toddlers preschoolers pay careful attention think things act purposefully leathers et al interactivity main point difference one holds potential engage educate youngest children noted within discussion digitods trope digital natives tends homogenise entire generation authors assume children born today digitods default many children privileged opportunities others parental cultural capital enable access ease use digital skill development addition implied digitods tech savvy older siblings term used describe distinguish children digital access almost since birthin order differentiate tease everyday family practices around childrens ict use possible risks benefits access affords babies toddlers preschoolers term digital native also criticised white middle class phenomenon necessarily case digitods southeast asia pacific region developed countries like japan korea new zealand singapore extremely high rates touchscreen use young children child sciences jie goh unantenne countries philippines indonesia moved high smart phone usage young children time nascent ict access instruction within education systems unantenne digitod parent parents digitods usually experienced internet users many comfortable children using childfriendly touch screen devices findahl digital technologies integral everyday lives often making daily life easier improving communication family friends even high pressure parenting years raising toddlers preschoolers even though many parents caregivers enabling young childrens use touch screen technologies also concerned changes making young childrens use touch screen devices become another area fear possible criticism parental practices risk negative evaluation others holloway et al tensions expert advice regarding young childrens screentime parents caregivers judgments also played online parenting blogs online magazines discussion groups joining debate one hand parents want children swim expertly digital stream navigate lives hand fear much digital media early sink parents end treating tablets like precision surgical instruments gadgets might perform miracles childs iq help win nifty robotics competitionbut used rosinthus 80 000 childrens apps marketed educational apple app store alone parents find difficult choose apps worth purchasing yelland nonetheless recent research regarding australian children shows three five year olds access touch screen devices typically five specific apps choose 523 average neumann little credible evidence considered debate parents left make choices pros cons young childrens access touch screens nonetheless one immediate benefit comes mind toddlers preschoolers video chatting dispersed family memberdue increased globalisation guest worker arrangements fifo flyin flyout workforces family separation divorce clear benefits around sociability youngsters connection significant others make previous screenrelated guidelines date longer contextually relevant little research attention family ownership tablet devices well touch screen phones risen dramatically last five years young children loaned technologies mum dad tendency australia rely marketorientated research regarding ownership usage little knowledge touch screen usage rates young australian children uk us usage figures indicate last years fivefold increase tablet uptake zero eight year olds ofcom rideout although large scale comparative australian data available previous research regarding older children indicates australia similar high use countries like scandinavian nations uk green et al addition two small research projects australia 160 participant families indicate two thirds children 05 use touchscreen devices neumann coenenna et al beyond usage figures also limited evidencebased research young childrens app use interactive technologies available via touch screen technologies available domestically short time consequently valid scientific research completed replicated due lack available time leathers el al 129 longitudinal studies rely intervention group case exposure childrens apps control group exposure even fewer timeconsuming interestingly researchers revisited issue passive screen viewing recent 2015 review previous 2007 research linked babies watching videos poor language development found statistical methodological issues 2007 study strong inferences drawn media exposure language development ferguson donellan thus seems conclusive evidencebased research inform parents educators possible downside benefits touch screen use nonetheless early childhood experts quick weigh possible effects screen usage providing restrictive guidelines recommendations others advocating use interactive apps young children educational value knowledgegap disguises actually happening lives real australian families due lack local data well worldwide research essential australian researchers obtain comprehensive understanding actual behaviour around touch screen use lives children aged zero five families beginning research research young childrens touch screen use beginning take place results published researching two three year olds learning interactive versus noninteractive videos kirkorian choi pempek found toddlers may learn interactive media noninteractive video kirkorian et al means use interactive apps touch screen devices may hold greater potential learning passive video television viewing children age range another study considered degree young children could navigate use apps touch screen devices observing analysing youtube videos infants young children using touch screens hourcade et al found ages 12 months 17 months children filmed seemed begin make meaningful use tablets 90 per cent children aged two reached level ability 1923 kind research mentioned usually preserve psychologists paediatricians educators however ground young childrens use domestic contextin spaces people touch screen usage takes place funding australian research council australian irish uk researchers adopt media studies domestication approach comprehensively investigate digital media use everyday lives young children australianbased research project positions young childrens touch screen use within family help provide understanding everyday knowledge strategies cohort technology users young children parents already developedin knowledge vacuum left swift appropriation incorporation new media technologies lives families young children whilst using conventional social constructionist perspective project also adopt cocreation knowledge approach cocreation knowledge approach fong links communities practice literature wegner recognises parents caregivers children current experts field terms everyday uses technologies young children families everyday discourse practices regarding childrens touch screen use necessarily work obvious power hierarchies via expert opinions rather process meaning making shape understandings attitudes experience shared talk within everyday family communities practice toddlers tablets research innovative many ways seeks capture enthusiasm young childrens digital interactions pioneer new ways beginnings researching young children well parents researchers work parents children broad domestic contexts including outofhome activities grandparental widerfamily involvement cocreate knowledge young childrens digital technologies social contexts technologies used aspects interactions interviews observations everyday digital interactions recorded audio video respectively addition data collected media commentary policy debates research publications learned articles disciplinary traditions interrogated see correlations contrasts trends synergies parents construction meaning public commentary current research critical discourse tools methods chouliaraki fairclough used analyse verbatim transcripts video written materials conclusion young children uniquely dependent upon others basic necessities life tools need need develop claim place world given ubiquitous role played digital media lives parents caregivers would distortion everyday life children excluded technologies routinely used connect people information way adults use digital media renew strengthen social emotional bonds across distance young children delight facetime technologies connect audiovisually friends family members physically copresent similarly short time spent company toddlers using touch screens sufficient demonstrate sheer delight young infants developing sense agency autonomy httpswwwyoutubecomwatchvaxvyafmqnk media communications cultural studies beginning claim space evidence based policy drawn everyday activities real life contexts research beginnings digital life families beginning find way introduce technologies youngest generation integrating within social emotional repertoires may prove start new understandings communication skills preverbal preliterate young people whose technology preferences drive future development parents likely trying keep pace acknowledgment research supported australia research councils discovery projects funding scheme project number dp150104734 references bittman michael et al digital natives new old media childrens outcomes australian journal education 552 2011 16175 brown ari media use children younger 2 years pediatrics 1285 2011 104045 burr vivien social constructionism 2nd ed london routledge 2003 cavanaugh cathy et al effects distance education k12 student outcomes metaanalysis 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