Tablet Terra Incognita: Research Note on the Role of Tablets in Digital Parenting of Preschool Children

Abstract

Our research note reports the results of a qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the pilot edition of the Coding Masters Junior program, conducted in 2015 by Centrum Cyfrowe: Projekt Polska. It focuses on the results of a semantic analysis for the keyword “tablet” of the IDIs conducted with parents of preschoolers. The analysis has shown, among others, that in many households tablet is seen as belonging to the domain of the child, its property (toy). At the same time, quantitative research reveals that in 26% of tablet-owning households the device is not made available to the child. This strong polarization of practices shows that tablets remain a terra incognita to a significant group of parents, one they often have no wish to explore.