Interactive Electronic Devices (IEDs) in the Home: Exploring How Young Children Use IEDs in the Family Home Setting
试验速览
- 阶段
- 不适用
- 状态
- 招募中
- 入组人数
- 20
- 试验地点
- 1
- 主要终点
- Ethnographic Observation of Children's use of Interactive Electronic Devices
研究概览
简要总结
This study aims to explore the context of how children aged 3-5 use interactive electronic devices like tablets or smartphones in their everyday home environment. The researchers will look at the social, family, and environmental factors that shape this use.
This study will use a qualitative ethnographic approach to explore how young children aged 3-5 use interactive electronic devices (IEDs) in the home. Data will be collected through questionnaires, exploring parent and child IED use, and video recordings of children in their natural home environment over one week, with three recording sessions of approximately four hours each. Following the recording period, selected clips will be reviewed with parents during a semi-structured interview to reflect on behaviours, routines, and context.
These videos will help capture not just what children do, but also how they interact with others while using the devices - like gestures, facial expressions, and conversations. The researchers will process the data and extract some video clips. These clips will be used to discuss with parents what they saw in the videos during 60-90-minute interviews to get their insights and giving us a deeper understanding of the child's behaviour and communication.
Data analysis will involve inductive thematic analysis of interview transcripts to identify patterns and themes in parental reflections and experiences. To support and accelerate this process, video analysis will be used to extract key moments and behaviours from the recordings, helping to contextualise and enrich the thematic findings. This combined approach will allow for a deep understanding of the social and environmental factors shaping children's technology use.
The study will include families from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds, with children aged 3-5 years of age. Participants will be recruited through early years settings, as well as via flyers distributed across family hubs, community centres, libraries and on social media throughout Yorkshire.
详细描述
Background:
Interactive electronic devices (IEDs), which the researchers define as any portable screen, such as tablets or mobile phones, are ubiquitous in young children's lives, with 90% of children aged 3-4 years going online. National and international guidelines report a lack of understanding around the family circumstances of when young children are using such devices, limiting recommendations. Few studies have focused on how and when young children use IEDs, and fewer still explore the socioeconomic relationship and IED use of children (Arabiat et al., 2023; Radesky et al., 2020). In conversations with early years practitioners, parents and policymakers, they recognise IEDs as a valuable resource for early years learning, observing how most families from all backgrounds now allow their children to use IEDs (Azevedo et al., 2025). However, what is unknown is how children and their parents are using IEDs and whether there is an observable difference or indeed what circumstances increase or reduce IED usage.
Few studies have examined the experience of young children engaging in screen-based activities.
Studies found that parents advise children to use devices for multiple purposes, such as education and distraction, particularly when parents need to do household chores (Bentley et al., 2016). Studies have also reported contrasting views on the need to establish rules, while many agreed that mobile devices are an unavoidable part of modern life (Kabali et al., 2015).
However, to date, the researchers are unaware of any study that has observed children in their home environment to better understand their behaviours and interactions with mobile devices.
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Observational
- 观察模型
- Family Based
- 时间视角
- Cross Sectional
入排标准
- 年龄范围
- 3 Years 至 5 Years（Child）
- 性别
- All
- 接受健康志愿者
- 是
入选标准
- •Children between 3 and 5 years old
- •Children who use an interactive electronic device
- •Children who have received parent/carer consent for participation and provided verbal assent
排除标准
- •Children whose parents do not speak and/or understand English
- •Children who have been clinically diagnosed with a developmental disorder by a medical professional prior to either baseline or follow-up assessments
研究组 & 干预措施
Study Population: Children aged 3-5 years old
We will be recruiting participants who are 3-5 years of age and use interactive electronic devices and who have not been clinically diagnosed with a developmental disorder by a medical professional.
Study Population: Parent of children aged 3-5 years involved in the study
We will interview a parent or carer of the 3-5 year old children involved in the study to gain insights from the video recordings taken of their children using interactive electronic devices in the family home.
结局指标
主要结局
Ethnographic Observation of Children's use of Interactive Electronic Devices
时间窗: Through study completion, an average of 6 months.
Parents' perceptions and attitudes toward their child's use of interactive electronic devices (IEDs) will be assessed through semi-structured interviews. These interviews will explore parents' views on the appropriateness, benefits, and potential risks of IED usage, as well as their beliefs about the circumstances under which their child engages with these devices. Responses will provide qualitative insights into parental attitudes and perceived influences on Early Years children's technology use.
Video Observation
时间窗: During analysis of video footage (first 3 weeks of participation).
Video observations made by the researchers will help to provide understanding on how and why the phenomena (child's use of interactive electronic device) occur. Three four hour clips will be selected to analyse for themes and repeated behaviours during the child's device use.
次要结局
未报告次要终点