Analysis of studies on digitilazion and children in Turkey: Systematic review

Since the industrial revolution, which caused great changes for humanity, developments in the field of technology have emerged in almost every field and have caused radical changes in human life. These changes have changed and transformed the way human life works and what people used to do routinely. Just as almost all objects and objects have had their share of the changes and transformations brought about by digitalization, people have also been affected by the objects they depend on in order to survive. People of all age groups have been influenced by digital tools and digital media. People of all age groups have been influenced by digital tools and digital media. However, children born into a digital world have been more affected by these technological developments than other age groups, and in other words, today's society has digital children. The new generation of children, also called digital natives, have been affected both positively and negatively by the changes and transformations that digitalization has created in human life and have had their fair share of the new digital world created by digitalization. Therefore, in this thesis study, the researcher focused on digitalization, which is a current issue in today's digital society, and its effects on children and what kind of childhood these effects create. The systematic review analysis method was used because the research problem questions addressed in this study, which focuses on the effects of digitalization on children, have been answered in previous studies on this subject. n the context of systematic compilation, the research population was determined as the studies between 2000 and 2023 in Turkey, and the sample group was determined as the studies on digitalization and childhood published on YÖK Thesis, Google Scholar, TR Index and Dergi Park websites. As a result of detailed literature review on these sites, 65 studies were found. Among these studies, it was determined that the qualitative research method was preferred more than the quantitative and mixed pattern research method. As a result, in the studies examined as a result of the systematic review, it was determined that digitalization is quite dominant on children and their childhood. In addition, it has been determined that studies conducted on the impact of digital tools on children mostly focus on their negative aspects. However, it should be taken into consideration that digital tools and digital media can be truly productive and beneficial for children when used correctly. As a result, another issue emphasized in the studies in the context of systematic review is that excessive use of digital tools and misuse of digital tools can cause irreversible damage to children. As a result, this study, which was conducted with the systematic review analysis method, tried to guide researchers who will study "on the effects of digitalization on children" and to give advice to parents.