Children and Young Peoples Digital Lifeworlds: Domestication, Mediation, and Agency (Global Transformations in Media and Communication Research - A Palgrave and IAMCR Series)

This book explores the ways in which adolescents in Nigeria domesticate technology and the role of digital gatekeepers such as parents, guardians, and teachers in their digital lifeworlds. Using a child-centred framework, what emerges is a rounded and textured analysis of how technology fits into pivotal aspects of the lives of teenagers. Here, teens are understood as ‘actors’ rather than just users of media and technology. The digital lifeworlds of young people in advanced economies of the Minority World are well researched. In contrast, research focusing on pre-teens’ and teenagers’ digital practices and participation in Majority World such as Africa, is still fundamentally narrow. The book is relevant to fields like sociology, media studies, youth studies, mobile media studies, African studies, and global media studies. Foreword Prologue From Intrigue to Research Author’s Preface Acknowledgements Praise for Children and Young People’s Digital Lifeworlds Contents About the Author Abbreviations List of Figures List of Tables Chapter 1: Researching Children and Young People’s Digital Lifeworlds Introduction This Book’s Research Research Intentions Conceptual Frameworks Digital Divide and Disconnection Young People (Children, Adolescents, and Teens) Rural and Urban Digital Technology Why Does This Matter? References Chapter 2: Context Matters: Geography, Research Sites, and Media Trajectory The Country, Nigeria Geographical Overview of Research Sites North Central Nigeria Southeast Nigeria Charting the Growth of the Media in Nigeria Trajectory of the Nigerian Mass Media The Digital Media Scene Digital Media Technology in Africa References Chapter 3: Tracking Research on Children and the Media Introduction From “Then to Now”: Research on Media and Children Perspectives on Children and Young People and the Digital Environment in the Majority World Internet Access Opportunities and Risks Gender Parents and Schools The Pandemic Regulation Identified Gap References Chapter 4: Navigating Theoretical, Methodological, and Ethical Interdependences in Researching Children Introduction The Theoretical Approach The Methodological Approach The Fieldwork Negotiating Access to Young Participants Overview of Schools Anambra State FCT-Abuja The Ethical Approach Information Disclosure Informed Assent and Consent Confidentiality Potential Harm to Participants and Institutions Financial Compensation and Inducements Ethical Moments, Dilemmas, and Rational Solutions Analytical Approach References Chapter 5: Children’s Access and Connection to Digital Technology Introduction Socio-Demographic Characteristics Direct and Indirect Digital Connection and Access The Centrality of Mobile Technology The Big Picture References Chapter 6: Domestication of Technology in Everyday Life Introduction Social Connections Communication and Friendship Use of Social Media Dealing with Stress, Routine, and Mental Well-Being Gaming Schoolwork, Information, and News Consumption Family Connection in Real-Time: Childminding, Monitoring, Emergency Leveraging Self-Learning and Requirements of Formal Education Limits to Children’s Technology Use The Big Picture References Chapter 7: Media Proclivities, Preferences, and Perceptions of Digital Technology Introduction Ambivalence in Children’s Media Choices Teens’ Perceptions of Technology Positive Views of Technology: The Helper, the Bridge, the Source of Joy Concerns Around Negative Uses and Online Safety Technology Avoidance and Negotiation of Sociocultural Values Digital Ban: “Use of Mobile Phones Must Not Be Allowed in Schools” Beyond Play Tools Acknowledging Curiosity, Identity Issues, and a Lack of Digital Literacy The Big Picture References Chapter 8: “You cannot serve two masters at a time”: Digital Gatekeepers in Children’s Digital Lifeworlds Introduction Encouragers and Supporters Prohibitors and Moral Panic Mongers Conscious Self-Restraint and Other Nuances of Digital Mediation The Big Picture References Chapter 9: Precarious Agency and the Power of Children with Digital Technology Introduction Operationalising Agency Teens’ Perceived Agency in Practices with Technology Others’ Perception of Children’s Agency with Digital Technology The Big Picture References Chapter 10: A Bricolage: Of Summary, Final Thoughts, and Recommendations Summarised Overview Summary of Key Results Conclusions Contribution to Theory Recommendations Policy Directions Praxis Directions Nigeria-Specific Directions Research Directions Limitations References Epilogue From Research to Introspection References Index