Singapore parents’ use of digital devices with young children: motivations and uses

This current article is drawn from a qualitative study investigating the motivations and uses of digital devices of Singapore parents with their toddlers and preschoolers (age range: 1–5-year-old children). The article focuses on three prominent empirical findings. First, parent participants tend to try using a digital device with children to gratify needs for children’s learning, tension release, and bonding. Second, these parents’ perceptions of the extent to which these needs are gratified and the risks when using digital devices influence their decision to use. Third, these interviewed parents observed that the appropriate use of digital devices, with their rich educational content, flexibility, and interactivity, were instrumental in providing further opportunities for learning and discovering the world of children. The article seeks to contribute to the international literature of early childhood learning by providing evidence on factors influencing parents’ use of digital devices with their children and possible impacts of that use on children development