Media consumption and families' (post)digital literacies: a national survey
Article / Journal
Author(s) / editor(s):
Cosimo Marco Scarcelli
,
Emilia Restiglian
,
Juliana Elisa Raffaghelli
,
Mercedes Pilar Blanco-Navarro
Year: 2026
Language(s): English
Abstract:
The study investigates how Italian families with children aged 0–6 view the growing use of digital technologies in early childhood education, using a national survey of 2,000 families (780 with children in ECEC). It finds that although most households have sufficient digital infrastructure, parents’ digital skills vary, with lower literacy linked to stronger worries about privacy, data monetization, and weak institutional oversight. Parents are more familiar with commercial platforms than with educational tools used in ECEC, and regional and educational differences shape their perceptions. Limited involvement in parent associations reduces collective advocacy, underscoring the need for stronger family–school collaboration, targeted parental digital literacy programmes, and educator training to secure ethical, equitable uses of technology in early childhood settings.
https://doi.org/10.1344/der.2026.48.36-54
Post created by: Virginia Signorini