Young Children’s Social Interactions with Parents during Digital Activities at Home

The aim of this current study was to investigate how young children and their parents interact during in-home digital activities. A total of 40 home visits were conducted to observe children’s social interaction with their parents during the digital activity time. Data were collected through participant observation as well as through interviews conducted with the parents. The results revealed that children and their parents frequently interacted with each other for a variety of purposes. These interactions were divided into categories of conflict and synchrony. The conflicts were resolved through three strategies of resolution: parental submission, child submission or compromise. The observed synchrony strategies were based on either following instructions, accompanying or cooperation. This study showed that parents play a key role in enriching children’s digital activities through consistent interactions. No matter if there was conflict or synchrony, the social interactions between children and parents provided opportunities for improving children’s understanding and arrangement of their emotions. However, each interaction between children and parents during digital activities has unique features. It should be highlighted that the interactions may vary across contexts and parent-child dyads.