Áreas de Soporte para Infraestructura Auxiliar

1. Online technologies are an inseparable part of the lives of all children from our sample families. Even the families with the lowest incomes have at least one television set and a computer. Most families have two or three TVs, two computers and two tablets as well as smartphones and children start using them as early as 3 or 4. As a rule, those who have older siblings become active users at a very early age, and they learn by looking at and imi- tating their brothers and sisters.

2. Tablets and smartphones are the favourite devices of children. For those children who do not have access to a tablet or smartphone the favourite device is a laptop or a PC. While television is watched daily by all children, none has named it as a favourite device. Game consoles do not appear to be popular with children in this age group, while DVD and MP3 players seem obsolete, as children prefer to watch videos online and listen to the music stored on smartphones.

3. Children are quick to learn basic operational skills. About a half of the children from the study can be considered independent users, but a display of more advanced online com- petencies is rare. Children see the internet as a given. They do not know what online space represents and how it functions. For them, games, films and music simply exist and are there for them to watch and play. Some children are not passive consumers, but are able to produce content as well (making audio and video clips, taking photographs, producing draw- ings using programmes like Paint).

4. Almost all children use the devices solely for entertainment. This is especially true for chil- dren from low-income families, though in these families parents also report the most sig- nificant benefits. All children love to play games - mostly on smartphones, tablets and PCs/ laptops, and less often on game consoles. They most often play by themselves, but playing

games with siblings or parents (usually fathers) is also quite common. An equally popular pastime is watching films, animation, TV serials and video clips. They also watch commer- cials and visit online shops.

5. Several children use technologies for communication (Viber, Skype, Facebook). Six children have a Facebook profile, which was set up by their parents or older siblings with the parents’ permission. Parents say that without it, their child would be socially isolated, as most of their peers are on Facebook.

6. Children clearly distinguish between those devices which they consider their own and those that belong to parents or are used by all family members. In the latter case, they seem more concerned with the family rules regulating the use of these devices and follow them much more strictly.

7. The majority of parents have a positive opinion about online technologies, as they encour- age children’s curiosity and desire for learning. However, few underscored the educational value of devices and most stress the importance of developing traditional literacy such as handwriting and reading. Technologies also help parents, who sometimes use the devices as ‘babysitters’. On the other hand, they are concerned that if they are used too often and for too long, technologies represent a health risk.

8. Parents are also concern about the ‘stranger danger’, but they see it as a distant risk. Few share concerns related to exposure to violent content that can potentially scare the child. Few parents also worry about the commercial and consumerist aspects of the online world and about misleading information children might come across, despite evidence that chil- dren are keen on watching advertisements or browsing online shops. Exposure to content that is inappropriate or harmful for children is not perceived as a significant risk at this age, because according to the parents children rarely explore unknown territories online and only use the sites and apps they are familiar with and which have been checked and installed by their parents. However, it became clear that children intentionally access apps such as Facebook, Messenger and Instagram without their parents being aware of this and that they often come across inappropriate music by chance on YouTube.

9. All parents declared that they need more information about how to better mediate their children’s use, how to effectively create balance between online and offline activities and how to better protect their children from harm online. Many were interested in the long- term implications of the use of digital devices. They reported that information on that issue is scarce and difficult to obtain and they showed a readiness to follow recommendations if such are available.

10. No family enforces strict, well-defined rules for children’s use of technologies. Most rely on active but permissive parental mediation, doing their best to provide the children with an appropriate example and model to follow. Nevertheless, there are several rules that are observed in the majority of families: limitation of the screen time to 1 to 2 hours per day; children not being allowed to take devices outside of the home if the parents are not with them; and devices not to be used during meals or when having guests. Only one family has installed parental control software on the devices children use.

related to the way in which parents communicate the value of these devices, mainly under- scoring their price. Some parents mention that they do not attribute importance to technol- ogy on purpose, so that they are not perceived as valuable belongings by the child. In these families, children showed the least attachment to the devices.