Navigating children’s use of digital technology in a post-lockdown era

Primary Researchers: Professor Susan Danby and Professor Julian Sefton-Green 

Institution: Queensland University of Technology, Deakin University, University of Wollongong, Curtain University, Edith Cowan University and The University of Queensland  

The ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child is a consortium of 6 Australian universities, led by Queensland University of Technology (QUT), which is partnering with international academic and industry organisations. The collaboration aims to conduct a world-first longitudinal study of children’s experiences with digital technologies and investigate the ways that children are growing up in digital worlds through 3 research programs focused on health, education, and connection.  

The Centre’s longitudinal study – the Australian of the Digital Age – aims to provide a holistic viewpoint of children’s experience with digital technology during their formative early years – from birth to 8 years of age.  

Led by Professor Julian Sefton-Green and the Centre research team at Deakin University, one of these Connected Child studies investigated parents’ changing attitudes towards screentime in response to pandemic-induced social restrictions.  

Professor Rebekah Willett, Partner Investigator from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said, ’During the pandemic, when children’s lives became even more digital by default, parents were forced to rethink their ideas about children’s media practices. We are excited to bring together data from different countries and to explore new analytical frameworks to understand ever-evolving family media practices.’  

Families from Australia, China, USA, South Korea, Canada, United Kingdom, and Colombia completed surveys and participated in interviews. The team found that, in countries like Australia, families became reliant on digital screen technologies to cope with extended lockdowns – they used them for home schooling, entertainment, connecting with family and friends, and to avoid boredom.  

Research Fellow Dr Xinyu (Andy) Zhao said, ‘We found that parents today were put in a difficult position to always make the “right” decisions for their children’s everyday media activities, which created much parental anxiety and guilt during the pandemic.’  

‘This was particularly the case when children’s media practices were only benchmarked against the time they spent on screens, rather than the quality or context of what they do with media in the home,’ said Dr Zhao.  

Professor Sefton-Green said this international comparative project showed how immature the notion of ‘screen time’ was for making sense of a wide range of digital media experiences.  

‘It’s an unhelpful lens for families to view what might be good or useful about changing sites of learning,’ Professor Sefton-Green said.  

During the study, some parents mentioned their optimism about the possibilities afforded by digital media. They were open to continuing its use for more productive activities, such as for learning and communicating with family members.  

A book on the findings from the project titled ‘Children, Media and Parenting in the COVID-19 Pandemic’ will be published in 2024.

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