Children’s Vulnerability to Digital Technology within the Family

Author(s)
Tove Lafton, Halla B. Holmarsdottir, Olaf Kapella, Merike Sisask, Liudmila Zinoveva
Abstract

Children today experience digital engagement from a young age, and information and communication technology (ICT) use impacts how the family, seen as a social–relational structure or network of two or more people, communicates and interacts in daily life. This review broadly encompasses how children and young people are vulnerable regarding digital technology, focusing on diverse aspects of the family. The scoping review includes a final corpus of 100 articles broadly focusing on the term ‘vulnerability’ as it relates to digital technology and the family. The themes identified originate from the articles and describe five domains of vulnerability: (1) extensive Internet use, (2) age and gender, (3) risky online behaviour, (4) social networking as a social lubricant, and (5) parental mediation and care. The studies identified lean heavily on quantitative studies measuring time, whilst depth and context are less visible. Despite a growing body of research, there is a lack of both qualitative studies and research examining the role of technology in the lives of children and young people and how family dynamics are affected in the digital age.

Organisation(s)
Project: Family Studies in Austria
External organisation(s)
Oslo Metropolitan University, Tallinn University (TU)
Journal
Societies
Volume
13
No. of pages
15
ISSN
2075-4698
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13010011
Publication date
01-2023
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
504011 Genealogy
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Social Sciences(all)
Portal url
https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/childrens-vulnerability-to-digital-technology-within-the-family(5f315ecb-8728-47d4-933f-78bb3053c137).html