Children’s Vulnerability to Digital Technology within the Family: A Scoping Review

Tove Lafton (), Halla B. Holmarsdottir, Olaf Kapella, Merike Sisask and Liudmila Zinoveva
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Tove Lafton: Faculty of Education and International Studies, Department of Early Childhood Education, Oslo Metropolitan University, 0130 Oslo, Norway
Halla B. Holmarsdottir: Faculty of Education and International Studies, Department of Primary and Secondary Teacher Education, 0130 Oslo, Norway
Olaf Kapella: Faculty of Social Sciences, University Wien, 1010 Vienna, Austria
Merike Sisask: School of Governance, Law and Society, Tallinn University, 10120 Tallinn, Estonia
Liudmila Zinoveva: School of Governance, Law and Society, Tallinn University, 10120 Tallinn, Estonia

Societies, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: Children today experience digital engagement from a young age, and information and communication technology (ICT) use impacts how the family, seen as a social–relational structure or network of two or more people, communicates and interacts in daily life. This review broadly encompasses how children and young people are vulnerable regarding digital technology, focusing on diverse aspects of the family. The scoping review includes a final corpus of 100 articles broadly focusing on the term ‘vulnerability’ as it relates to digital technology and the family. The themes identified originate from the articles and describe five domains of vulnerability: (1) extensive Internet use, (2) age and gender, (3) risky online behaviour, (4) social networking as a social lubricant, and (5) parental mediation and care. The studies identified lean heavily on quantitative studies measuring time, whilst depth and context are less visible. Despite a growing body of research, there is a lack of both qualitative studies and research examining the role of technology in the lives of children and young people and how family dynamics are affected in the digital age.

Keywords: children; family; scoping review; information and communication technologies; vulnerabilities (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A13 A14 P P0 P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Z1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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