engleski

I am ignored, and i feel angry! - children’s perception and experience of technoference in the parent-child relationship

The aim of the study was to examine children's perception and experience of technoference in a parent-child relationship. Interviews with 34 children aged 4 to 8 years (17 girls) and nine focus groups with 31 children aged 9 to 15 years (13 girls) were conducted online from February until May 2021 in Croatia. Research questions about the experience of technoference and emotions and behaviors of children and parents were developed in advance within the project "Digital technology in the family: patterns of behaviour and effects on child development". Interviews and focus groups were transcribed, and the content analyzed. The results show 77% of the interviewed children perceive parents being interrupted by technology use when with them (i.e., the parents did not hear the children calling them because of smartphone use). The interviewed children mostly expressed anger (26%) about the role of technology in the parent-child relationship. Some children expressed sadness, and a few experienced happiness because they could continue with their own play. Most children (75%) from focus groups also experienced technoference in the relationship. They expressed feelings of anger and being ignored by parents, and some of the children expressed being used to that kind of parental behavior. Some younger and older children stated that they actively try to get their parents' attention in these kinds of situations (i.e., jelling, scaring parents, doing physical moves). Older children state that they are used to their parents’ use of devices when with them. Overall, the findings show that three-quarters of children, regardless of their age, experience technological interference in the parent-child relationship, that children mostly feel negative emotions (i.e., anger, sadness) in that situation, that they are trying to get parents' attention because they feel ignored, and that among older children, acceptance of parents’ preoccupation with devices is common.

children ; technoference ; parents ; digital devices ; emotions

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