Engl. transl.: Strangers in Digiland

"With the growing importance of digital practices in young children’s everyday routines, parents and educators often face frustration and confusion. They find it difficult to guide children when it comes to playing and learning online. This research note proposes an insight into parents’ and educators’ concerns related to children’s and their own digital literacy, based on two exploratory qualitative inquiries carried out from March 2015 to August 2017 among 30 children aged 4 to 8 from Romania, their parents and educators. The research project Digital and Multimodal Practices of Young Children from Romania (2015–2016) and its continuation The Role of Digital Competence in the Everyday Lives of Children Aged 4–8 (2017–2018, ongoing) are part of a broader effort within the Europe-wide COST network IS1410 – The Digital and Multimodal Practices of Young Children (2014–2018). Parents and educators are disconnected from young children’s universe, our research has found. The factors enabling adults’ access to “Digiland” and ways of coping with the steep learning curve of digital literacy are explored through parents’ and teachers’ narratives, guided observation of children’s digital practices, and expert testimonies." (Bako & Tokes, 2017, p. 109)

"Parents and educators are disconnected from young children’s universe. Factors enabling adults’ access to “Digiland” are multifold: infrastructural, psychological, social, and educational. Coping with the steep learning curve of digital literacy is a multiplayer game; our small-scale research has shown: domestic technological environment, institutional support of schools, and personal motivation are factors promoting or hindering ICT-related knowledge and skills. (...) Adults tend to overestimate young children’s digital literacy and are rather sceptical when it comes to the revolutionary role technology plays in kids’ lives. They are more concerned with health issues related to screen time than deeper and more complex threats such as cybersecurity or cyberbullying." (Bako & Tokes, 2017, p. 113)"