Digital Media Use of Preschool-Aged Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Digital media technologies have been widely accessible in the modern household for almost a decade. Coronavirus pandemic has also shown that these technologies have become indispensable in daily lives. During the pandemic lockdown, many parents have worked remotely and children have been attending distance education. Thus, these technologies are commonly used by all family members in this period. This study aimed to investigate preschoolers' screen use, and parental views, and approaches related to their children's digital media use during the pandemic. It was asked to parents the questions on screen time, content, and type of devices children use in digital media. Additionally, they answered some questions on their views, concerns, and approaches to digital risks and opportunities for their children. The findings show that screen time was over the recommended limit for most preschoolers, whereas content remained similar to times before the pandemic. Maternal work status was related to how parents approached some risks or learning opportunities in regulating their children's digital media use.