How much time is right? School-aged childrens screen use

• Grant number: 23/01888-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2023
• End date: December 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Human Development Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Débora de Hollanda Souza
• Grantee: Bruna Motta Fodra
• Host Institution: Centro de Educação e Ciências Humanas (CECH). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 14/50909-8 - INCT 2014: Behavior, Cognition and Teaching (INCT-ECCE): relational learning and symbolic functioning, AP.TEM

Abstract

Recent research has revealed changes in children's screentime during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how it can potencially affect child development. However, it is still necessary to investigate whether there where also changes in children's screentime after they started returning to school, as well as how they evaluate their current device use. The goal of the present study is to seek for answers to those questions. Additionally, we will also explore how parents and caregivers perceive the use of these devices and whether they endorse control measures. During an interview session, children will be asked about the devices to which they have access to and which ones they prefer. The experimenter will thenask questions about the child's three favorite devices, their functions and which activities are performed in each one. Finally, the experimenter will explore the child's opinion about their parents' control and monitoring measures. A form(Google form) will be sent to the parents including questions about their children's access to screens, their evaluation of the used devices and possiblecontrol/monitoring measures of content and time. We hope the results of this study may help to elucidate important aspects of children's relationship with different eletronic devices and possible changes in this relationship during Covid-19 pandemic times.