Children’s Wellbeing Starts at Home. Redefining Parenting According to the Digitalized Society

Mihaela Voinea; Andreea Sitoiu

doi:10.18662/lumproc/atee2020/37

Mihaela Voinea Transilvania University, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Brasov, Romania
Andreea Sitoiu Assistant professor, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Transilvania University

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18662/lumproc/atee2020/37

Keywords: wellbeing, parenting, digitalized society, parent-child partnership, emotions

Abstract

The changes in digitalized society are reflected in the family and school environment.
Nowadays children are characterized as “Homo zappiens” (Veen & Vrakking, 2011) or “digi” generation (Gold, 2016) because they are growing up using modern technology (mobile phone, computer, iPod etc.) since early childhood. The use of new communication technologies by children induced major changes in play, learning and parenting. They learn and play in a global and digital culture. This could lead to huge discrepancies between generations, especially between parents and children, children and educators. This is because homo zappiens are digital, whereas parents are analogous sometimes. If we add to these characteristics of society the values that dominate postmodernism (hedonism, individualism etc.) we will have a clearer picture of the challenges of education today and especially, in parenting. We need to redefine the children-parents-educators relationship through a new set of criteria. Wellbeing is an important aspect of the family environment which determinates school integration and success.
This article focuses on research in parents` perception regarding the parenting in digitalized society and children`s wellbeing.
The research was embedded in a constructivist-interpretivist paradigm, which employed both quantitative and qualitative methods for data collection. This study included a number of 100 participants, children and their parents.
Conclusion: The parents need to develop a new mind, set on children`s wellbeing and rethinking the parenting in digitalized society. A training program for parents must be a solution for develop children`s well-being at home as a condition for school.

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