Broadening the Notion of Peer-To-Peer Interactions When Young Children Engage With Digital Technology

Abstract

Young children engage with digital technologies from a very young age. Often this is considered detrimental to their social development as it is seen as a socially isolating experience. This paper presents the findings of an Australian Research Council funded research project that focused on what characterises infants and toddlers peer-to-peer interactions while engaging with digital technologies such as iPads. The project involved five Family Day Care educators and 23 children aged 8 to 36 months from diverse cultural backgrounds, over a three-year period from an Australian state. The data analysed consisted of researcher recorded and educator recorded videos of the children engaging in experiences involving digital technologies in their family day care programs. These experiences were chosen by the educators after attending a professional development session. A broader understanding of the notion of interactions is proposed to fully appreciate and represent the many peer-to-peer interactions observed. Through a social capital lens, there were elements of social networks, trust and reciprocity evident.