Children’s Vulnerability to Digital Technology within the Family: A Scoping Review

Tove Lafton, Halla B. Holmarsdottir, Olaf Kapella, Merike Sisask, Liudmila Zinoveva

Publications: Contribution to journalArticlePeer Reviewed

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.
Original languageEnglish
Article number11
Number of pages15
JournalSocieties
Volume13
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2023

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

  • 504011 Genealogy

Keywords

  • Children
  • Family
  • Scoping review
  • Information and communication technologies
  • Vulnerability
  • children
  • information and communication technologies
  • vulnerabilities
  • family
  • scoping review

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