Parental perceptions of young children's information behavior related to free-time activities

Abstract

This poster presents an exploration of parental perceptions of the everyday life information behaviors of children between 4 and 8 years of age. Twenty-three parents/caregivers completed a survey about their children's information behaviors related to their hobbies and interests. Findings indicate that young children exhibit a heavy reliance on interpersonal interactions for information seeking and information sharing, while information use is more likely to be an individual activity. Information behaviors were evident in children who engaged in a variety of free-time activities, though not all free-time activities resulted in reported engagement in information behaviors. The findings of this study indicate that children as young as 4 years of age engage in observable information behaviors related to their everyday free-time activities. Additional research is needed to better understand young children's everyday life information behaviors.