PSY-6 Mobile Device Use Among 4- and 5-Year-Olds: Perspectives from Parents and Teachers
Start Date
12-4-2024 9:30 AM
End Date
12-4-2024 11:30 AM
Location
University Readiness Center Greatroom
Document Type
Poster
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate 4- and 5-year-old children's use of mobile devices. Data were gathered from parents (n=46), teachers (n=4), and a speech-language pathologist from one preschool in South Carolina. Parents completed a questionnaire about their child’s mobile device usage (e.g., how old the child was when they began using a device, how often they used it, and activities they used it for). I interviewed teachers about their opinion about children’s device use outside school and any behavior/learning characteristics they attributed to this use. Of the 46 parent respondents, only 2 had children who did not use mobile devices. Overall, 61% of 3- to 5-year-old children possessed their own device; the remaining 35% had regular access to a device owned by someone else, such as a parent or sibling. It was also found that 72% of children began using their devices at the age of 3 or younger. The most popular platform that students used was YouTube and the most popular online activity was streaming videos. Parents described the academic benefits of their children using devices, such as developing math skills, letter recognition, phonics skills, and learning new words. However, the teachers expressed concerns about children’s speech development and their ability to focus in class. All of the teachers chose not to use tablets in class due to students’ dependence on them and their unwillingness to participate in other activities when tablets were available. Overall, this study confirms a worldwide trend of early mobile device use among children, and revealed conflicting interpretations by parents and teachers regarding the benefits and disadvantages of this early use.
Keywords
Mobile Devices, Young Children, Speech-Language
PSY-6 Mobile Device Use Among 4- and 5-Year-Olds: Perspectives from Parents and Teachers
University Readiness Center Greatroom
The purpose of this study was to investigate 4- and 5-year-old children's use of mobile devices. Data were gathered from parents (n=46), teachers (n=4), and a speech-language pathologist from one preschool in South Carolina. Parents completed a questionnaire about their child’s mobile device usage (e.g., how old the child was when they began using a device, how often they used it, and activities they used it for). I interviewed teachers about their opinion about children’s device use outside school and any behavior/learning characteristics they attributed to this use. Of the 46 parent respondents, only 2 had children who did not use mobile devices. Overall, 61% of 3- to 5-year-old children possessed their own device; the remaining 35% had regular access to a device owned by someone else, such as a parent or sibling. It was also found that 72% of children began using their devices at the age of 3 or younger. The most popular platform that students used was YouTube and the most popular online activity was streaming videos. Parents described the academic benefits of their children using devices, such as developing math skills, letter recognition, phonics skills, and learning new words. However, the teachers expressed concerns about children’s speech development and their ability to focus in class. All of the teachers chose not to use tablets in class due to students’ dependence on them and their unwillingness to participate in other activities when tablets were available. Overall, this study confirms a worldwide trend of early mobile device use among children, and revealed conflicting interpretations by parents and teachers regarding the benefits and disadvantages of this early use.