Peer-reviewed article
Empowering Children as Resilient Digital Citizens: Navigating the Challenges of the Digital Media Landscape
Romy Di Putra, Irwansyah Irwansyah ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This systematic literature review and parent survey examines how to help children aged 5-18 become safe and responsible digital citizens. The study of 58 parents found that most children use smartphones for education and entertainment, with common activities including watching videos and playing educational games. Key challenges include online safety risks and low digital literacy, which parents address through discussions, monitoring apps, and parental controls. The research recommends a coordinated approach involving media literacy education, active parental engagement, and strong government policies to protect children online.
Key points
- 65.5% of children use smartphones for educational and entertainment purposes
- Parents teach digital etiquette primarily through regular discussions (69.0%) and monitor activities using parental control apps (41.4%) and online discussions (39.7%)
- Common digital activities include watching videos (43.1%) and playing educational games (34.5%)
- 82.8% of survey respondents were women aged 35-44 years
- A holistic approach is needed involving media literacy integration in school curricula, active parental involvement, and strict government regulations
Limitations
This is a small survey of 58 parents, mostly women in a narrow age range, from developed countries, which limits generalisability to other populations and contexts. The document does not provide evidence on the effectiveness of specific interventions in improving children's online safety or digital literacy outcomes.
Abstract
The research "Empowering Children as Resilient Digital Citizens: Navigating Challenges in the Digital Media Landscape" aims to understand the impact of digital technology on children's development and equip them with the skills necessary to become resilient digital citizens. The focus is on 5-18 year olds, highlighting the important role of media literacy in creating a safe online environment. Using PRISMA's 2020 systematic literature review and a survey of 58 parents, the study identified key challenges such as online safety risks and lack of digital literacy, and emphasized the important role of parents, educators and policymakers. The survey results showed 82.8% of respondents were women aged 35-44 years. Most children use smartphones (65.5%) for educational and entertainment purposes. Common digital activities include watching videos (43.1%) and playing educational games (34.5%). Parents teach digital etiquette through regular discussions (69.0%) and monitoring children's online activities. Effective monitoring methods include parental control apps (41.4%) and online activity discussions (39.7%). A literature review revealed clusters of keywords such as "Digital Citizenship," "Social Media," "Digital Education," and "Media Literacy," demonstrating the importance of digital literacy and education. Developed countries such as the US, UK, Australia, Spain, and Canada are showing great attention to digital literacy and child protection. The discussion emphasized the need for a holistic approach involving media literacy, the role of parents, and strong government policies. Parents should be actively involved in children's use of technology, educators need to integrate media literacy into curricula, and policymakers should enforce strict regulations to protect children in the digital world. This approach ensures children are ready to face and use the digital world safely and respo