DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AND CHILDREN’S COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to explore the role of technology through mother’s experiences in the cognitive development of children. The sample of the study consists of six stay-at-home mothers who have children around 5 to 11 years of age. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted and after transcribing the data was analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings of the study highlight a broad range of themes that cover the general perception of technology, how digital technology is being used by mothers and children at home, and how it impacts their nature of attachment. Moreover, the impact of digital technology on the cognitive abilities, social conduct, and self-governance of children is also thoroughly researched. The study explored that digital technology is an effective tool for learning and connecting with family and helps in improving cognitive abilities. However immoderate use of digital technology can be harmful and may disturb the natural development of attachment of children with their parents, especially mothers. This risk is increasing day by day as technology is normally being used as a digital nanny for children.

Keywords: digital technology, cognitive development, children, perception, cognitive abilities