Supporting children’s relationships with digital technologies

This chapter focuses on the peer-to-peer relationships of very young children that can be formed through the use of digital technologies. Digital technologies are now commonplace in the lives of young children; however, there is a dearth of research relating to children aged 0 to 3 years and their use of digital technology. This chapter draws attention to the often-expressed concern by parents and educators that using technology can be an isolating experience and detrimental to a child’s socialisation. Documented in this chapter will be the philosophical shift that occurred for the educators involved in this Investigation as they utilised technologies to support young children to foster relationships with their peers. It identifies the practices that were found to support young children to positively interact with their peers when using digital technologies as viewing, using, showing, and discussing. The chapter showcases the children and educators engaged in these practices and prompts thinking about how technologies can be used in the best interests of young children to support relationship building.