Navike roditelja djece predškolske dobi Istarske županije o uporabi mobilnih uređaja
Habits of parents of preschool-aged children in Istria county regarding the use of mobile devices

Summary/Abstract: Even among preschool-aged children, the use of mobile devices has become a daily occurrence; they become accustomed to using mobile devices very early. Two-year-old children are already capable of independently using a mobile device, connecting to the Internet, and accessing content inappropriate for their age, whether it be cartoons, games, or other material. Therefore, from an early age, children should be informed and educated about the positive and negative aspects of the Internet. The aim of the research was to explore the attitudes and thoughts of parents regarding the use of mobile devices in preschool children from the Istria County (Croatia). The study was conducted on a sample of 205 respondents, parents whose children attend preschool (nursery or kindergarten). For the purposes of the research, a measurement tool, a survey questionnaire, was created and distributed to parents via Viber groups. The results indicate that 64.9% of the research participants permit their preschool children to use a mobile device: 44.4% of respondents allow the use of a mobile phone for up to one hour a day, while 3.8% permit the use for up to two hours. Furthermore, 87.9% monitor the content that their child is exposed to on a mobile device. 43.6% of all respondents would allow their child to have a profile on a social network or application (WhatsApp and/or Viber) once the child starts school. It is challenging to restrict modern technology for children, as opinions about the use of mobile devices in children vary from parent to parent. Children should certainly have limited screen time, and parents should consistently monitor and inform/explain the content they access on the Internet.

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