Author(s):
Objectives: This qualitative study conducted in India examines the implications and challenges of using media to enhance early childhood education.
Methods: In-depth interviews occurred in Delhi and Mumbai with eleven experts. Eligibility required that experts have direct experience with young children or have participated in the creation and/or production of young children’s content on different media platforms. Two research questions guided thematic analysis around the uses, challenges, and scope of media for young Indian children. These questions were: 1) what are experts’ opinions about how best to use media for early childhood education? and 2) what are experts’ opinions about the challenges, barriers, and/or disadvantages of using media for educational purposes?
Results: Experts were enthusiastic about the role of media in improving children’s education. They offered advice on how children’s media can be an effective adjunct to informal and formalized early childhood education, offering even young children powerful and influential messages. Experts discussed media access and sustainability, balancing media’s educational and entertainment value, and parent and teacher roles and responsibilities. Experts addressed an important conundrum that educational media producers face: navigating the potential benefits and harms associated with young children’s exposure to media. While enthusiastically describing media’s values, experts detailed potential harms from particular programming and prolonged media viewing. Recommendations emerged for children’s media including access to age-appropriate channels as well as training parents and teachers to appropriately engage children with technology.
Conclusion: This study offers unique insight from experienced professionals on the future of children’s media in India and can offer direction and guidance in the development and dissemination of media content to children around the globe. The richness and diversity of experts’ opinions adds clarity and context to our understanding of how to enhance the positive utilities of children’s digital educational media while reducing concerns about its harms.
