Could children be influenced by technology? An exploratory study in Portugal

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to collect information about how technology influences children nowadays, in Portugal, an intermediate technology country in the European Union. The methods used were interviews and questionnaires presented to children (a total of 38 children), parents (15 parents) and teachers (three teachers) in order to find out how they feel about today’s technological devices and how they think they can influence the society of the future, and whether they have a negative or positive impact or both. The methods selected were seen to be the best to obtain the desired answers, because public opinion is assuredly a good way to receive feedback about various contemporary products and phenomena. The conclusion was that every child in the sample owns digital devices and this influences them mostly in a positive way, in the opinion of their parents and teachers. Technology can also influence them in a negative way, but only if used so much that it becomes an addiction, affecting the child’s attention in school, as well as their daily activities. The motivation to do this research study was mainly that one of the authors has four children and can see the profound changes inflicted in them by technology versus older generations and thus an exploratory study into technological change brought on by devices, gadgets and social media was decided upon.