Mobile device use among preschool-aged children in Greece

Abstract

In the last decade, interactive touchscreen devices have become ubiquitous in young children, and toddlers first experience touchscreen technology before two. Although parents have a vital role in developing the home environment as a stimulus for development, they also have conflicting views on the appropriateness of using apps to deliver educational content for assorted reasons. The purpose of the study was to reveal various aspects of children’s smart mobile use at home, such as the frequency of mobile device usage, preferred app types, and parent beliefs and strategies. Three hundred twenty-five parents of kindergarten children took part in this study. The present study revealed that parents seek to support their children’s learning at home via mobile devices. Furthermore, parents lack knowledge about app developmentally appropriateness and need further guidance. We expect the findings to serve as a reference for researchers to better information for parents and create apps with real educational value for children.

Defining Digital Competence for Older Preschool Children

“…The most popular devices were the smartphone and tablet. These results are similar to those of other studies (Dardanaou et al, 2020;Papadakis et al, 2021). The duration of digital device use by the children exceeded the time recommended for this age group and generally ranged from 1 to 3 hours a day, a result which is consistent with data reported in other studies (Soldatova & Vishneva, 2019).…”

“…Most parental moderation strategies involved limiting the time of use of digital devices. Other studies also confirm this finding (Papadakis et al, 2021).…”

“…Some research focuses on identifying the challenges of interaction with the digital world on a child: apprehensions about the effect of screen time (Radesky, Schumacher, & Zuckerman, 2015); the negative impact of media and information products (Karabanova & Molchanov, 2018;Tisseron, 2013); and the potential for intensifying traditional childhood risks, such as bullying, cyberaggression, and risks related to content; and fueling new forms of child abuse and exploitation (UNICEF, 2017; United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, 2021). Other researchers are studying the opportunities opened by digital technologies to young members of the digital community: the educational and developing value of apps (Liu, Tan, Huang, Chen, & Liu, 2021;Papadakis, 2021;Papadakis, Alexandraki, & Zaranis); the impact of computer technologies on perception in the learning process (Hoffman, 2014); the development of preschoolers' executive functions by computer-based technologies (Veraksa & Bukhalenkova, 2017); the development of the creative potential of a gifted child (Bochkarev, 2019); opportunities for learning and education; and access to information (UNICEF, 2017).…”

A Systematic Review of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning Research Trends and Practices in Malaysia

“…Consequently, the present systematic review is prompted by one fundamental research question: What research has been undertaken on the integration of MALL in language classrooms in Malaysia between January 2019 and January 2021? The main objective of the review is to provide an up-to-date summary of research trends and MALL practices in Malaysia between January 2019 to January 2021, based on seven codes obtained from previous systematic literature reviews: (1) research objectives, (2) research methodologies, (3) educational level, (4) learning context, (5) device types, (6) theories, and (7) research outcomes. The present paper is subdivided into six sections.…”

“…Finally, Section 6 summarises the entire review. Literature review Mobile device usage, particularly interactive touchscreen devices, has become ingrained and indispensable in the lives of today's younger generation, many of whom may have had their first experience with touchscreen devices prior to the age of two [7]. In an ideal situation, mobile devices, particularly touchscreen devices, would deliver interactive experiences that capitalise on a human's inherent constructivist learning capacities, thereby promoting the development of 21st-century skills deemed necessary for learning and future employment in an age of technology [8], [9].…”