Engl. transl.: Usage of info-communication technology in early childhood

In this study we look through the national and the international results of studies on usage of information and communication technologies (TV, internet) in early childhood, and we show the results of the empirical studies made by the Eszerházy Károly University. The goal of our study was to explore the habits of ICT usage of children under 6 years of age by questioning their parents. The ICT use questionnaire developed by us, and the main results of the questionnaire survey will be presented. Our results show that ICT usage of children under 6 years of age doesn’t always fit the international recommendations. By the outcome the most important job of the professionals is the specialized support of parents in helping their children from the early childhood to ground the proper, adaptive ICT usage.

Most of the children started use ICTs before 2 years of age, mainly television, smart phone and tablet. 45% of the children watch television for more than one hours on a typical weekend day, and even more do something else while the television is on. The intensity of computer usage is much lower. Most parents are well aware of their own role as mediator in the ICT usage of their children and they usually control both the time and content of usage. According to the parents, the distress of children caused by ICT usage is positively correlated with the time they spend with this activity. Media multitasking was reported in case of 11%, television watching during play was mentioned by 28% and television during eating by 19%. "A szülők valószínűleg nincsenek tökéletesen tisztában ezekkel az ajánlásokkal, így a legfontosabb feladat az lenne, hogy számukra segítséget nyújtsunk gyermekük IKThasználatával kapcsolatban. Ennek részeként nemcsak a nemzetközi ajánlások megismertetése jelenhetne meg, hanem a szülők célzott támogatása is abban, hogy hogyan tudnak segíteni gyermeküknek egészen kora gyermekkortól a megfelelő, adaptív IKT-használat megalapozásában." (Faragó Boglárka – Kecskeméti-Székely Katalin Zsuzsa – Dávid Mária: Infokommunikációs technológia használata kora gyermekkorban, Gyermeknevelés 8. évf. 1. szám 114–130. (2020), p: 128-129) "Most probably parents are not perfectly aware of the recommendations, thus the most important task would be to offer support for them regarding the ICT usage of their children. This would include not only the communication of the relevant international recommendations, but also targeted support in how they can help their children to establish an adequate and adaptive ICT usage even from early childhood." (Faragó Boglárka – Kecskeméti-Székely Katalin Zsuzsa – Dávid Mária: Infokommunikációs technológia használata kora gyermekkorban, Gyermeknevelés 8. évf. 1. szám 114–130. (2020), p: 128-129) - translated by the coder