Parents' Views on the Impact of Technology on 18 To 24-Month Old Infants

Abstract

Spanning the first years of life, infancy constitutes an important development process for an individual. As it is known that environmental factors influence infants' development and as information and communication technologies, such as smart phones, tablet computers, and the Internet, have become integral components of the environment, the impact of technology on infants is a matter of concern. The importance of this discussion is compounded when it is born in mind that such devices attract the oft-undivided attention of 18 to 24-month old infants, possibly impairing infants' ability to fully take advantage of this stage of discovery. In that respect, the aim of this study is to investigate the impacts of technology on infants where parents use technological devices for themselves or their infant or where they allow their babies to use these devices. The data were through qualitative research methods. The study population consisted of 52 parents, of which 32 were mothers and 17 were fathers, with at least one 18 to 24-mont old infant in the province of Van, Turkey in 2017. A semi-structured interview form containing a single question was prepared and probes were asked to obtain detailed information and guide the interview. Content analyses were conducted to analyze the qualitative data. The study reveals three main themes gleaned from parents' views on the impact of technology on 18 to 24-month old infants, namely: (i) parents' reason for using technology, (ii) change of emotions in infants when technological devices are used and not used, and (iii) infants' reactions and behaviors during use. These results were discussed in terms of technology's impact on infants.