Examination of digital neglect and abuse of 0-6 year-old children according to parental vi̇ews

EXAMINATION OF DIGITAL NEGLECT AND ABUSE TOWARDS 0-6 AGE GROUP CHILDREN ACCORDING TO PARENTS' VIEWS ABSTRACT Although there are numerous scientific studies on neglect and abuse, which are important issues in the field of child welfare, digital neglect and abuse are emerging as a new area of study. This study aims to reveal the reasons why parents encourage their children to use digital technology, the effects of digital technology use on children's physical, psychological, and social development from the parents' perspective, It also aims to evaluate parents' views on the physical, psychological, and social dangers children may face when content and personal information about them is shared on their parents' social media accounts or on social media accounts created specifically for children, and to draw attention to what can be done to protect children from potential dangers. To this end, a qualitative research method was used, and content analysis was employed. In this context, the data collection tools used were in-depth interviews, observation, and document review. The universe of the study consisted of parents with children aged 0-6 who use social media accounts, while the sample consisted of 16 parents with children aged 0-6 who live in the Ümraniye and Kadıköy districts of Istanbul and use social media, selected using purposive sampling. The data collection tools used were the "Personal Information Form" and the semi-structured "Face-to-Face Interview Form" created by the researcher. Data analysis was performed using the Maxqda 24 Qualitative Data Analysis Program. Based on the research questions, semi-structured interview questions were developed, and the participants' responses were analyzed to identify four themes, categories related to these themes, and codes associated with these categories. The four identified themes are: Personal Information, Digital Technology Use, Conscious Internet Use, and Digital Neglect and Abuse. The findings from the research reveal that: there is a parallel between the screen time of parents and that of children, parents can sometimes use digital technologies as a babysitter, parents are aware of the risks and opportunities of digital technologies and social media and take certain measures to protect their children from risks while benefiting from opportunities, and they are sensitive to protecting the best interests of their children. Keywords: Social work, Digital age, Digital parenting, Digital neglect and abuse, Social media