Session Information
06 SES 12 A, Open Learning: Building Democratic Educational Environments
Joint Paper Session with Network 34: Research on Citizenship Education
Contribution
In the post-COVID 19 pandemic context, important debates arise about the current and future cultural, political and economic impact of the use of digital platforms on the protection and privacy of children and young people (Morozov, 2018; Snowden, 2019; Zuboff, 2019). . In this sense, national and regional public administrations in Spain have approved laws that directly address the protection of minors in the digital environment, as well as the guarantee of their digital rights. These documents recognize the fundamental role of the family in promoting the responsible use of technology. In addition, digital education programs have been developed for children, adolescents and their families. Along the same lines, foundations, NGOs and observatories promote different initiatives to protect children and adolescents in the digital context and raise awareness about the responsible use of technology. In the academic field, a body of scientific literature seems to be growing focused on the digital socialization of young people from an intergenerational perspective, as well as research groups aimed at studying the relationship between families and technologies.
In this framework, the research project "PlatFAMs: Platforming Families - tracing digital transformations in everyday life across generations" (CHANSE Cofund 2021 PCI2022-135025-2) aims to explore the integration of digital platforms into routines and daily dynamics of contemporary families in five European countries (Norway, Estonia, United Kingdom, Romania and Spain). Within the framework of the development of the first phases of this project, all participating countries carried out research on the use and regulation of digital platforms in families. This article offers the results of this work in the Spanish case from an intergenerational perspective, addressing the actions developed by national and regional public administrations, as well as the initiatives promoted by foundations, NGOs and observatories. It also examines the contributions of academia in this context. A content analysis of 24 documents including regulations and digital reports is carried out to identify concepts related to the use and regulation of digital platforms. This review provides detailed information on the measures adopted to promote the digital rights of children, adolescents and families, highlighting the diversity of approaches and resources deployed by the different actors in Spanish society. From the approval of laws to investment in the modernization of the educational system, efforts and tensions are observed to address the challenges and opportunities presented by digital development in the country. According to this framework, the objective of communication is to relate the views of the regulatory framework, scientific knowledge and civil society organizations on digital platforms in families.
Method
A content analysis (Krippendorff, 2018) has been conducted, which involves the systematic and objective examination of the content of documents to identify patterns, themes, and trends within the content, allowing for a better understanding of the meaning, intent, and context of the information analysed. Content analysis in this instance involves closely examining 24 documents across regulations and digital reports to identify concepts related to the use and regulation of digital platforms. This process includes the identification of specific legal aspects, actions carried out by the public administration at national and regional levels, as well as initiatives promoted by foundations, NGOs, observatories and academia. This approach allows for a deeper understanding of current regulation, practices in the use of digital platforms and ongoing initiatives to address various aspects related to these platforms in Spain. Regulatory framework The level of the autonomous public administration (Generalitat de Catalunya) is framed within state legislation and other initiatives related to the protection of minors in the digital environment and the promotion of a safe use of technology. At the state level, Organic Law 3/2018 (2018) on the Protection of Personal Data and Guarantee of Digital Rights recognises and safeguards the digital rights of citizens, including the specific rights of children in the digital environment. In addition, the Government of Catalonia has implemented its own measures, such as the repository "Content and resources for families" of the Audiovisual Council of Catalonia (2022) and the Digital Education Plan of Catalonia 2020/23 (2021), aimed at improving the digital competence of pupils and teachers in the region. Civil Society Organisations NGOs and foundations such as IPROC, Fundación Telefónica and Fundación Pantallas Amigas also contribute to the protection of minors online. IPROC (2022) analyses family dynamics in relation to device use during confinement, while Fundación Pantallas Amigas' "TikTok Guide for Parents" helps parents to monitor and support their teenagers online. Scientific Knowledge Scientific research in Spain on digital literacy in the family and school focuses on understanding adolescents' use of the Internet and social networks, addressing possible risk behaviours. Fernández and González (2017) explore the perception of the social and educational environment on digital culture. On the other hand, Smahel et al. (2020) examine the internet access and online behaviour of European children aged 9-16 years. These studies relate to the state government's National Digital Skills Plan (2021), which aims to close digital divides and promote technology literacy at the national level.
Expected Outcomes
In the Spanish and Catalan context, various actions have been implemented to regulate the impact of digital development on citizens, especially in the use of digital platforms and other technological devices. At the state level, laws have been passed that address the protection of minors online and the guarantee of their digital rights, with an important focus on the role of the family. In addition, digital education programmes for children, adolescents and their families have been promoted, as well as a digital education plan to strengthen the use of technology in education. The Spanish government has plans to invest in the modernisation and digitalisation of the education system, as part of the recovery, transformation and resilience plan (Next Generation funds). Concern for the protection of children and adolescents in the digital environment is also addressed by social entities such as foundations, NGOs and observatories, with reports aimed both at the young population in general and at family contexts at risk of social exclusion. In addition, a lack of evidence has been identified on the role of grandparents in the digital literacy of their grandchildren (and viceversa), pointing to the need for more action in this area. In the Spanish academic environment, the existence of scientific literature focusing on the digital socialisation of young people from an intergenerational perspective has been recognised, as well as the emergence of research groups focused on the study of the relationship between families and technologies.
References
Consejo Audiovisual de Cataluña. (2022). Contenidos y recursos para las familias [PDF]. Recuperado de [https://www.educac.cat/families/continguts-i-recursos-les-familie] Departamento de Educación. (2020). Plan de Educación Digital de Cataluña 2020/23. [PDF]. Recuperado de [https://educacio.gencat.cat/web/.content/home/departament/publicacions/colleccions/pla-educacio-digital/pla-educacio-digital-catalunya/pla-educacio-digital.pdf] Fernández, A., & González, B. (2017). El entorno del niño en la cultura digital desde la perspectiva intergeneracional. http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=495953509001 Fundación Pantallas Amigas. (s.f.). Guía de TikTok para padres y madres [PDF]. Recuperado de [https://sf16-sg.tiktokcdn.com/obj/eden-sg/tweh7hpqhpqps/Guia_TikTok_Pantallasamigas.pdf] Krippendorff, K. (2018). Content analysis: An introduction to its methodology. Sage publications. IPROC. (2022). El impacto de las pantallas en la vida familiar. Familias y adolescentes tras el confinamiento: retos educativos y oportunidades [PDF]. Recuperado de [https://publiadmin.fundaciontelefonica.com/index.php/publicaciones/add_descargas?tipo_fichero=pdf&idioma_fichero=es_es&pais=Espa%C3%B1a&title=Sociedad+Digital+en+Espa%C3%B1a+2022&code=760&lang=es&file=Sociedad_Digital_en_Espa%C3%B1a_2022.pdf] Ley Orgánica 3/2018. (2018) de Protección de Datos Personales y Garantía de los Derechos Digitales. (2018). Recuperado de [https://www.boe.es/eli/es/lo/2018/12/05/3] Ley Orgánica 8/2021. (2021). Recuperado de [https://boe.es/buscar/pdf/2021/BOE-A-2021-9347-consolidado.pdf] Morozov, E. (2018). Capitalismo Big Tech: ¿Welfare o neofeudalismo digital? Smahel, D., et al. (2020). EU Kids Online 2020: Survey results from 19 countries. EU Kids Online. Recuperado de [https://www.eukidsonline.ch/files/Eu-kids-online-2020-international-report.pdf] Plan Nacional de Competencias Digitales. (2021). Recuperado de [https://portal.mineco.gob.es/RecursosArticulo/mineco/ministerio/ficheros/210127_plan_nacional_de_competencias_digitales.pdf]
Search the ECER Programme
- Search for keywords and phrases in "Text Search"
- Restrict in which part of the abstracts to search in "Where to search"
- Search for authors and in the respective field.
- For planning your conference attendance you may want to use the conference app, which will be issued some weeks before the conference
- If you are a session chair, best look up your chairing duties in the conference system (Conftool) or the app.