The study Young children (0-8) and digital technology (2015, 2nd phase) investigates the online presence of very young children and their use of digital technology. The research is coordinated by the European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for the Protection and Security of the Citizen (IPSC), Digital Citizen Security unit in the frame of the institutional project ECIT (Empowering Citizen’s Rights in Emerging ICT) and conducted with thirty-seven partners in 19 countries since 2014.
The study seeks to pave the way for better understanding how children below 8 years of age use the Internet and emerging digital devices (e.g. smartphones, tablets, computers, games) at home and their family context. In particular, it looks for existing/emerging uses in relation to online technologies used by children aged between 6 and 7 and their families, and it describes how children engage with (online) technologies and on how parents mediate their use. It also reflects on the potential benefits, risks and consequences associated with their (online) interactions with technologies. The study builds on a qualitative pilot study that touched seventy families of six European countries, of which its exploratory findings can be found in a first report issued in January 2015 (http://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC93239 ). The pilot study (2014) set the research methodology, based on interviews to children and parents, which has been recently implemented in 19 countries during the 2nd phase of the fieldwork (2015). The Autonomous University of Barcelona and the Autonomous University of Madrid participate in this pioneer study in Europe since 2015. The findings of the this second stage of fieldwork involving additional European countries have been published in January 2016 and will be officially launched together by all participating institutions February 9th, 2016.
Title of the project: Young Children (0-8) and Digital Technology
Funding organization: Joint Research Centre, European Commission
Coordinator of the European project: Stephane Chaudron
National contacts/coordinators of the fieldwork in Spain: Dr. Cristina Aliagas (Autonomous University of Barcelona) and Dr. David Poveda (Autonomous University of Madrid)
Researchers in Spain: in Autonomous University of Madrid (Dr. David Poveda, Dr. Mitsuko Matsumoto, Dr. Marta Morgade, Nieves Galera, Cristina Roncero) and in Autonomous University of Barcelona (Dr. Cristina Aliagas and Cristina Correro).
Participant countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, The Netherlands, United Kingdom
Access to the Spanish National Report:
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona: https://ddd.uab.cat/record/145656
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid: https://repositorio.uam.es/xmlui/handle/10486/669336