Researchers to study how toddlers learn to communicate using technology

Researchers from Manchester Metropolitan University are looking for parents and guardians to take part in a survey to understand more about children’s access to and use of digital technology in the home and how they speak and interact with others.

It is in reaction to increased family reliance on the internet to manage everyday life, keep in touch with loved ones and educate and entertain their young children since the Covid-19 pandemic, despite many parents being unaware of how this affects them, say the researchers.

The study will involve a survey of more than 1,000 parents and carers of children from birth to age three into digital media use at home, 60 interviews with parents, education and care professionals and in-depth case studies in the homes of 40 families in diverse social and linguistic communities from across the county.

It is hoped findings from the survey will enable families and policymakers to better understand how children (from birth to age three) develop early talk and literacy as they use digital media, and how families can support their learning and wellbeing.

Titled Toddlers, Tech and Talk, the research will also look into how social divides across and within the UK’s four nations shape children’s digital experiences, reflecting the country’s cultural and linguistic diversity.

The two-year project is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and involves researchers from Lancaster University, Swansea University, Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Strathclyde.

As a result of the project, resources for parents and teachers will be produced, as well as policy briefings and written evidence for national, devolved and local governments on very young children’s learning, safety and wellbeing in digitally connected homes.

Professor Rosie Flewitt, research lead and Professor of Early Childhood Communication at Manchester Metropolitan, said, ‘Most children are born into homes where digital technologies are embedded in the everyday fabric of family life, influencing their early language and literacy encounters. There’s a pressing need to find out much more about how very young children interact with, around and through digital media.’

Professor Janet Goodall of Swansea University added, ‘I’m very excited about this project. We know that parents and carers want the best for their children, but in this fast-changing world, it can be very difficult to know what the “best” is or can be.  This project will help us understand how families with young children are using and interacting with digital technology, and give us a much better understanding of the place of technology in families’ lives.’

• To take part in the survey click here