Online practices of children under 6: a grounded theory study

Abstract

With this research we intended to know the practices of children with technologies in home environment. We opted for Grounded Theory, because we do not intend to base ourselves on existing theories, but to create new one. Semi-structured interviews and observations to 15 families were carried out in their homes. Families would have to have, at least, one child under 6 and (preferably) an older brother. Through the collect data we verified that children are surrounded by technologies and use it when they want, including children with 1 year old. They prefer the mobile ones, such as the tablet and the smartphone, but also use the computer, the television and game consoles. Gender is decisive in the chosen activities on the devices, which are used mainly alone and independently, leading to children mastering devices better than parents think.