Young children engaging with technologies at home: the influence of family context

Citation

Stephen C, Stevenson O & Adey C (2013) Young children engaging with technologies at home: the influence of family context. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 11 (2), pp. 149-164. http://ecr.sagepub.com/; https://doi.org/10.1177/1476718X12466215

Abstract
This paper is about with the ways in which young children engage with technological toys and resources at home and, in particular, the ways in which the family context makes a difference to young children’s engagement with these technologies. The data reviewed come from family interviews and parent-recorded video of four case study children as they used specific resources: a screen-based games console designed for family use, a technology-mediated reading scheme, a child’s games console and two technological ‘pets’. We found the same repertoire of direct pedagogical actions across the families when they supported their children’s use of the resources, yet the evidence makes it clear that the child’s experience was different in each home. The paper goes on to present evidence that four dimensions of family context made a difference to children’s engagement with technological toys and resources at home. We argue that understanding children’s experiences with technologies at home necessitates finding out about the distinct family contexts in which they engage with the resources.

Keywords
technological toys and resources; children's preference; preschool children; family context; home; parents; Computers and children; Technology and children; Education, Preschool

Journal
Journal of Early Childhood Research: Volume 11, Issue 2

People

Dr Christine Stephen

Honorary Research Fellow, Faculty of Social Sciences