Millions of children around the world use digital devices every day, mostly by themselves. But digital media can be much more than a babysitter.
Young children learn through social interaction, so a child will gain much more from apps when an adult joins them. For example, talking about new words encountered in an app gives children a better chance of understanding and remembering them.
We believe that supporting this crucial adult-child interaction while playing with apps will enhance the child’s learning experience and outcomes.
Our work aims to consider this topic from multiple angles. For example, whether and how families engage in using digital media together and what motivates them to do so? Can the design or features of apps themselves promote shared use? What else could support parents to have nourishing interactions with their children when engaging in digital activities?
