Parental attitudes on the use of portable smart devices in children aged 0 to 3 years

Growing digitization is a challenge and an opportunity for today`s education and society. Nowadays, the use of computers and other digital devices starts in toddlerhood. The present study examines attitudes of parents on the use of portable smart devices (smartphones and tablets) in their zero- to three-year-old children. Further, the study explores how these attitudes are related to parents` goals and values. In Germany, 103 parents (79 mothers) of children aged zero to three years participated in an online survey. When asked at which age children should start using portable smart devices only 13 % of parents chose an age between zero and three years. However, 70 % of parents indicated their child had used a portable smart device before. Parents strongly agreed that parents should teach (M = 5.5, SD = 2) and regulate smartphone and tablet use of children (M = 6.6, SD = 1). Moreover, 75 % of parents stated that they actually regulate the time of use, for instance by using settings and/or apps. Parents agreed to a much lower degree that daycare or pre-school teachers should teach children smartphone and tablet use (M = 2.8, SD = 2). Moreover, results on relations between parents` attitudes, parenting goals, and values will be reported. A follow-up study is planned, which investigates whether parental attitudes on the use of portable smart devices in children differ between different cultural contexts. Therefore, data will be collected in five other states (Iran, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Nigeria).