Touchscreen media use and early childhood education: an exploration of contemporary touchscreen media use by young children and parents' perspectives in China

In the digital era, touchscreen media has become an integral part of children's lives. To gain a deeper understanding of children's use of this technology, it is necessary to investigate their everyday engagement with touchscreen media. This thesis aims to provide valuable insights by investigating the use of touchscreen media by Chinese children aged three to six, including their app preferences, places, duration of use and other aspects of their engagement with this technology. Additionally, this thesis explores the potential influence of parents on their children's everyday use of touchscreen media. Specifically, the study examines the attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of parents towards their children's use of touchscreen media, including their perceived risks, advantages and parental mediation strategies. To achieve these objectives, the study adopts the ‘Day in the Life’ methodology (Gillen, 2018). Three families with children from an urban area of China were selected to participate in the research.
This thesis makes several significant contributions to the field of research on children's engagement with touchscreen media. From methodological perspective, it demonstrates the adaptability of the ‘Day in the Life' methodology (Gillen, 2018) for remote data collection during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research phases were redesigned to fit the study's context, while the internet and a social media app were used for remote research. Specifically, parents from three families acted as recorders to facilitate their children's behaviour recording for the video component of the methodology. This remote approach provides a viable alternative to traditional research methods, especially when in-person data collection is not feasible or poses risks to participants. Furthermore, it presents a unique opportunity for researchers to collect data from participants in their natural settings, allowing for a more accurate representation of their everyday use of touchscreen media.
From a theoretical perspective, the thesis indicates that iPads are the preferred devices for children's touchscreen media use. Furthermore, due to kindergartens being closed and children spending more time at home during the pandemic, children have been introduced to online courses and learning through using touchscreen media. They engage in a variety of activities such as painting, math, and English learning.
Additionally, the thesis highlights the significant role that parents' attitudes and beliefs play in shaping their children's use of touchscreen media. Parents who perceive iPads as a source of entertainment tend to adopt a more permissive approach to supervising their children's use. Conversely, those who view the devices as tools to improve their children's skills are more likely to encourage exploration with learning apps and set stricter limits on app use and duration.