The findings were published in the article “Teacher and Parental Mediation of Digital Media Use in Early Childhood Education: A Systematic Literature Review of Empirical Evidence on Children’s Learning, Digital Literacy, and Identity Development” in the International Journal of Education and Psychological Science (IJEPS), Volume 4, Issue 5, 2026. The review is relevant as digital technology has become increasingly integrated into early childhood education and family life, ranging from televisions and smartphones to educational applications, digital storytelling, games, and emerging technologies such as augmented and virtual reality.
Digital Media Do Not Affect Children in the Same Way
The rapid development of technology has changed how young children learn, play, communicate, and access information. Digital media can support learning and literacy, provide opportunities for interactive play, and increase children’s engagement with educational activities. However, passive, excessive, or unsupported use can also create challenges.
Hasmawaty and Muhara found that existing research approaches digital media use in early childhood education from different perspectives. Some studies focus primarily on screen time and potential developmental risks, while others examine technology as a resource for literacy, learning, play, and child development.
The review therefore highlights an important distinction: the key issue is not simply whether young children use digital media, but how the technology is used and how adults support children during the experience.
33 Studies Reviewed from the Scopus Database
To provide a broader picture of the available evidence, Hasmawaty and Muhara conducted a systematic literature review following the PRISMA 2020 framework. The researchers searched the Scopus database using terms related to early childhood education, digital media, parental and teacher mediation, learning, literacy, and developmental outcomes.
The search initially identified 112 records. After screening titles and abstracts, assessing full texts, and applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 33 empirical studies were included in the final review.
The selected studies were published between 2023 and 2026 and used various research approaches, including quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, survey, observational, longitudinal, and design-based research.
The researchers organized the evidence into three major areas: forms of digital media use, ways parents and teachers mediate children’s digital experiences, and reported outcomes related to learning, literacy, development, and identity.
Screen-Based Media Remain the Main Research Focus
The review found that screen-based media were among the most frequently examined forms of digital technology. These included televisions, smartphones, tablets, computers, and other electronic devices.
Researchers also examined educational applications, e-books, digital learning platforms, online videos, digital storytelling, digital games, gamification, augmented reality, virtual reality, and digital and media literacy activities.
However, the distribution of research attention was not balanced. Learning and developmental outcomes were more frequently examined, while digital literacy, media literacy, and identity-related outcomes received considerably less attention.
This finding indicates that researchers have largely focused on whether technology supports learning or creates developmental concerns, while questions about how young children develop critical, creative, responsible, and identity-related relationships with digital technology remain less explored.
Parents and Teachers Have Different but Complementary Roles
At home, parents were commonly involved in managing children’s screen time, selecting appropriate content, monitoring activities, restricting access when necessary, and participating in digital activities together with their children.
Teachers, meanwhile, played a more prominent role in classroom settings. Their responsibilities included selecting appropriate digital resources, integrating technology into lessons, providing guidance, and helping children understand and use digital tools for learning.
In home-learning and remote-learning environments, these responsibilities often overlapped. Teachers provided instructional directions, while parents helped children participate in digital learning activities at home.
The review by Hasmawaty and Muhara shows that adult mediation goes beyond simply setting restrictions. It can include co-use, conversation about digital content, explanation, supervision, guided activities, and connecting digital experiences with children’s everyday learning.
Guided Digital Use Is More Often Linked to Positive Outcomes
One of the key findings was that structured, interactive, purposeful, and adult-supported digital experiences were more frequently associated with positive learning and developmental outcomes.
Reported outcomes across the reviewed studies included increased engagement and motivation, school readiness, language development, early literacy, cognitive development, social-emotional growth, and active participation.
By contrast, passive, excessive, or unguided screen engagement was more often associated with mixed or unfavorable outcomes, particularly in areas related to attention, executive functioning, and behavioral regulation.
The findings suggest that screen time alone cannot fully explain the effects of digital media on young children. The type of content, purpose of use, quality of interaction, learning environment, and level of adult support also need to be considered.
Parental Mediation Should Go Beyond Screen-Time Rules
For parents, the review suggests that digital mediation does not have to stop at setting limits on device use. Parents can participate in children’s digital activities, discuss the content they encounter, select age-appropriate materials, and connect digital experiences with everyday learning.
For early childhood educators, digital technology can serve as a learning resource when it adds value to children’s experiences. Technology should not replace hands-on activities, play, social interaction, or direct communication with teachers and peers.
Hasmawaty and Muhara also identified the need for more research on children’s digital literacy, media literacy, and identity development. These areas remain relatively underrepresented compared with general learning and developmental outcomes.
Implications for Early Childhood Education
The review provides a balanced perspective on the role of technology in early childhood education. Digital tools can create opportunities for learning, literacy, engagement, and development when they are used intentionally and supported by adults.
At the same time, technology should not be treated as automatically beneficial simply because it is educational or digital. Its value depends on the quality of the content, the purpose of use, the nature of interaction, and the way adults guide children.
For teachers, this means designing digital activities that are developmentally appropriate and connected to meaningful learning experiences. For parents, it means moving from simply controlling access toward active participation, discussion, and guidance.
Future research, according to the review, should pay greater attention to the quality of children’s digital interactions rather than relying primarily on general measures such as device frequency or total screen duration. Longitudinal, quasi-experimental, and mixed-methods studies could also provide stronger evidence about how different forms of mediation influence children’s development and learning over time.
Author Profiles
Hasmawaty is affiliated with Makassar State University, Makassar, Indonesia. Her contribution to the article focuses on early childhood education, digital media use, teacher and parental mediation, and children’s learning and literacy.
Abriadi Muhara is also affiliated with Makassar State University, Makassar, Indonesia. His contribution addresses digital media use in early childhood education, adult mediation, and its relationship with children’s learning and development.
The published article does not state the authors’ academic degrees in its author information.
Research Source
Article Title: Teacher and Parental Mediation of Digital Media Use in Early Childhood Education: A Systematic Literature Review of Empirical Evidence on Children’s Learning, Digital Literacy, and Identity Development
Overall, the review shows that the central question surrounding digital media in early childhood is not simply whether children should use technology. The evidence points instead to the importance of how technology is used, what children experience through it, and how teachers and parents guide those experiences.
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