Using Digital Technologies to Research Children in Time

Stefanie Duguay

Why use digital technologies to research children in time? Why research children?

They are tomorrow’s adults; Their actions affect the future of our society; They are subject to moral panics.

Why use digital technologies? Children are the most rapid adopters of new technologies; Technology has an impact on children’s lives; There is no online/offline divide.

Why incorporate time? Longitudinal studies produce robust findings; Researching children over time maps behaviour to development; Technology provides a digital archive of people’s lives.

Digital Tools for ResearchThere are a range of digital tools for

research. For example: Automatic tracking tools and ways

for co-researchers to easily record their online activity;

Applications for gathering data; Social network analysis programs; NameGenWeb is an app that

demonstrates digital data collection and SNA.

Researching Digital DataLife online can be investigated through:

Interviews; Walk-throughs of SNS profiles, blogs, mobile apps, etc. Content analysis of

material posted over time;

Online surveys, focus groups, etc.

Digital DisseminationDifferent digital techniques can be used to distribute findings

to various stakeholders:Participants/co-researchers: Blogs, videos, space for them to

comment and validate findings;The public: Discussion boards, easy access to knowledge

through social media, interactive spaces;The academic community: Sharing across departments and

disciplines through websites, webcasts, videos, and listservs.

Challenges in Digital Research with ChildrenDigital challenges:

Informed consent;Securing tons of data.

Working with childrenPower relationships;Access;Confidentiality.

Challenges and the need for extra measures should not prevent us from working with children as co-researchers.

ConclusionIf we do not use digital technologies when co-researching with

children, we miss a great deal of the most essential communication, learning, and self-expression that is taking place in children’s lives.

Digital technology can be used to create research tools, gather and analyse digital data, and disseminate research findings in order to have an impact on future research, policy decisions, and the public’s understanding of children’s lives.

References, links, and further information available here.