The digital child

Eva Mikuska, Andre Kurowski

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter (peer-reviewed)peer-review

Abstract

The role of digital technology (DT) is complex and dynamic, and it has become a significant element of early childhood education and care professional practices and philosophy. Children are early adopters and frequent users of the internet for play, communication and access for information (UNICEF, 2017). DT supports children learning and literacy skills (Flewitt et al., 2015; Kucirkova et al., 2019), digital creativity and digital play (Sakr, 2019), but it has been associated with social problems such as addiction (Ding and Li, 2023; Hermawati et al., 2018). Undheim’s (2022) definition of DT refers to electronic tools, various digital devices, including digital resources and digital content. The term digital child refers to those children who have grown up with DTs including digital environment and digital space and little experience without DT. Digital literacy refers to the knowledge, skills and attitudes that allow children to be both safe and empowered in an increasingly digital world. This encompasses their play, participation, socialising, searching and learning through DTs. This chapter will examine children in a world changing faster than ever, and the development of the ‘digital child’
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationContemporary Issues and the 21st Century Child
Subtitle of host publicationNew Perspectives on Childhood
EditorsAndre Kurowski, Sandra Lyndon
Place of PublicationLondon
PublisherSAGE Publications Ltd
Chapter3
Pages29-45
Number of pages17
Edition1st
ISBN (Electronic)9781529679106
ISBN (Print)9781529618778
Publication statusPublished - 14 Oct 2024

Keywords

  • digital technology
  • digital child
  • early childhood education and care

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The digital child'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this