Digital Ecosystems, Children, and Adolescents: Technical Report.

Area of Science:

• Digital media and child development
• Socioecological influences on technology use
• Children's health and well-being in the digital age

Background:

• The digital ecosystem encompasses diverse technologies like AI, social media, and mobile devices.
• Research increasingly reflects families' complex digital media engagement, moving beyond simplistic "screen time" metrics.
• Children's technology interactions are shaped by policy, community, and economic factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review evidence on children's health and well-being within the digital ecosystem.
• To apply Bronfenbrenner's socioecological model to understand children's digital media relationships.
• To highlight the multifaceted influences on children's technology experiences.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing evidence on children's digital media use.
• Application of the socioecological framework to analyze digital influences.
• Focus on the United States context for evidence review.

Main Results:

• Children's digital media experiences are shaped by nested systems: individual characteristics, caregivers, the digital ecosystem, and broader societal structures.
• The concept of "screen time" is insufficient to capture the complexity of children's technology interactions.
• Digital ecosystems exert significant influence on children's health and well-being.

Conclusions:

• Children's media and technology use must be analyzed within a broader socioecological context, not in isolation.
• Understanding the interplay of nested influences is crucial for addressing children's digital experiences.
• Future research should consider the systemic factors shaping children's relationship with digital media.