A threat to childhood innocence or the future of learning? Parents’ perspectives on the use of touch-screen technology by 0–3 year-olds in the UK

Abstract

The rise in personal ownership of touch-screen technology such as iPads and smartphones in the UK in recent years has led to the increasing use of such technology by babies and very young children. This article explores this practice via an online parental survey with 226 UK parents of children aged 0–3 years within the context of the current debate around whether technology is a problematic or advantageous aspect of contemporary childhood. Using a theoretical framework which draws on dominant discourses of childhood, the article presents and analyses data from this survey in order to ascertain how 0–3s are using touch-screen technology in UK homes, and what parents perceive to be the potential benefits and disadvantages of their usage. The findings are discussed in terms of changes in parenting practice, and the importance of further research in the area is emphasised.