Media, Family Interaction and the Digitalization of Childhood

Edited by Anja Riitta Lahikainen, Professor Emerita of Social Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, Tiina Mälkiä, Postdoctoral Researcher and Katja Repo, Director of Tampere Centre for Childhood, Youth and Family Research (PERLA), Tampere University, Finland

This is a first-class repository of new knowledge on how media and family routines intertwine in daily interactions. The multi-method approach reveals how varying forms of media affect the interaction between children and their parents. Avoiding criticism of these interactions, the contributors instead offer an impartial view of the natural occurrences in media-related family life.

‘This innovative book breaks new ground methodologically and theoretically as it examines the diversity and complexity of media use within the daily interactions of 26 Finnish families. Extensive video recording was used to capture both spatial and temporal diversity of media use within the home. An original and important contribution to our understanding of how new media changes and organizes interaction within the daily lives of contemporary families. A nuanced view of both the positive and negative aspects of media use is richly documented.’
– Marjorie Goodwin, University of California, Los Angeles, US