Toddlers and Taps: How do 3- and 4-Year-Old Kids in the University Community use Video Technologies?

Event: Undergraduate Research Symposium
Date: May 18, 2019
Location: UCI Student Center

Presenters: Branda Sun, Tran Hoang, Dorthy Schmidt
Mentors: Mark Warschauer, Robert David Tom Kalinowski

Title: Toddlers and Taps: How do 3- and 4-Year-Old Kids in the University Community use Video Technologies?

Abstract

​Today, babies grow up with access to internet-connected technologies which did not exist a decade ago. This dramatic change in the way we live has produced endless anxiety-focused stories in the news media. Meanwhile, some in the research community argue that it is time to look beyond “screen time” and instead focus on screen use, since ways of use rather than time of use may meaningfully impact child development. However, the ways mobile touchscreens are used in young children’s daily lives is not well known. Some survey studies show that video watching is the primary use, but beyond this few contextual factors have been described. For this study, we transcribe, code, and analyze hours of video data of 3- and 4-year-old children in the University community using new media technology—particularly video—in daily life. Findings from this observational multi-case study reveal deep, rich, contextualized features on how children from this community use video today, how video fits into the larger context of daily family life, and how video use might interplay with children’s learning and development in this community.