A Case Study on How Preschool Children Play: Comparing Parental Beliefs and Preschoolers' Home Technology Use

Technology is being used around the globe by people of all ages. Digital products are marketed for the use of children as young as infants. Research reveals that children are engaging with media. What makes this problematic is the lack of evidence to support how technology affects young children. Guidelines do not exist for the types of media and how much media should be used by young children. Some researchers suggest technology use is harmful to children while others claim that it is beneficial to social and cognitive development. Studies have predominantly focused on school-age children, but we must consider how preschoolers are engaging with technology and how this impacts the skillset they arrive with at school.;This study was conducted in the Midwest among urban and suburban settings and aimed to understand how preschool children play, how much time is spent on traditional forms of play versus digital devices, if they engage in more than one activity at a time, and parental perceptions about their child's technology use. Data were collected from n=33 surveys and n=6 parent interviews. Results of the study showed that preschool children are playing with technology as much as traditional forms of play and they do not engage in more than one activity while using media except for eating. Throughout the data, parents described a need for balance between technology and traditional play. A distinct role of technology emerged as parents discussed its educational benefits and the entertainment value for their child. There are implications for future research on understanding preschoolers' technology use and how kindergarten teachers may better meet the needs of their digitally savvy students.