۱- Introduction

۲- Method

۳- Analysis

۴- Discussion

References

Abstract

The current study aimed to examine children’s experiences of using tablet technology within the home. Eighteen children aged between eight and nine years old took part in four separate focus group discussions. Thematic analysis revealed three predominant themes: a battle of boundaries, a tool to escape the surrounding world, and an emerging dependency on tablet technology. The data implies that there is a growing dependency on tablet technology use among this age group. The current study also outlines that many children engage in a variety of techniques to circumvent parental limits on their tablet usage. However, other children discussed a lack of clear rules and restrictions for their use of tablet devices. The findings suggest that covert and unregulated use of tablet technology may have a detrimental impact upon children, particularly in relation to reduced social interaction, fatigue and increased family tensions due to excessive usage. Further research of child interactions with a wide variety of digital technology and media is warranted. Such exploration would further our understanding of the potential advantages and disadvantages for such technology use, as well as presenting a pathway to produce more effective guidance on home use.

Introduction

Touchscreen devices such as the Apple Ipad have the benefit of being able to make the Internet accessible to all ages, as well as a plethora of other entertainment and communication facilities (Holloway, Green, & Brady, 2013). Tablet devices present a low maintenance, intuitive platform that requires limited training to use, moving away from competence in generic computer literacy skills (Holloway et al., 2013). In the 8-11 years age range, 86% of children report having access to a tablet device, with a further 52% stating that they used a tablet almost every day (Ofcom, 2017). While engaging with technology such as tablets can support positive learning and communication experiences for children (Blum-Ross & Livingstone, 2016), problems associated with extensive use have also been acknowledged. Concerns related to the availability, ease of use, and accessibility of digital technology and the potential impact on the general well-being of children and adolescents has generated growing media interest (e.g., The Guardian, 2016). There have also been claims that excessive amounts of screen time in younger generations can disrupt cognitive and social development, create sleep disturbances, and impair well-being (Galpin & Taylor, 2018). Concerns related to aspects of online safety among children have also been raised (McNally et al., 2018; Livingston et al., 2017). However, Galpin and Taylor (2018) note that there is a significant lack of clear research data on which guidance related to screen-use in children.