21st April 2022, 11am - midday
Dr Beatrice Hayes, Royal Holloway University London
Abstract
Born and raised within a digital age, children are engaging with the technological world around them (Rosen, 2011). Despite most social networking sites’ (SNS) age restriction of 13 years, younger children are increasingly using these platforms (Ofcom, 2021). The risks of such usage are widely known. Cyberbullying and disclosing information inappropriately online are just two known risks of SNS use, and we know that a relationship exists between such risks and low wellbeing, low self-esteem and poor mental health. Alternatively, many benefits of SNS use also exist. Connecting with others, establishing communities and exploring the self are associated with positive impacts upon wellbeing, self-esteem and mental health. Despite these benefits, children’s use of SNS are typically associated with only the risks and this is widely publicised within the media. Yet, having developed within a digital age, children’s SNS use may present a unique digital reality which is not purely risky (Livingstone, 2017). To explore this, I investigated primary school children’s (ages 7-11 years) use of SNS via three mixed methods studies within my PhD. Within this talk, I will outline each of these studies and their findings; collectively, these will present an alternative approach to how we consider and support children within a digital age.
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