Digital competence in early childhood: the dialogue between pedagogy and neuroscience for screen education in the Di.Co.Each project

In recent decades, the spread of digital technologies in daily life has introduced the presence of screens into childhood life as well. Despite the recommendations of the American Academy of Paediatricians and other studies on the subject, the use of technological devices frequently occurs at an early age, with high exposure times and without adequate adult accompaniment. Based on these considerations, the Di.Co.Each Project has been carried out since October 2023 and it aims to foster interdisciplinary research (combining medical, pedagogical, psychological, and sociological perspectives) to enrich the literature and promote among parents, educators, and teachers a greater awareness of the risks and opportunities of the presence of electronic devices in the lives of children, promoting approaches that are conducive to the early acquisition of digital skills. The article offers a summary of the results of the first year of the project and relates the investigation developed from a neuroscientific point of view (with a literature review) with the research in the pedagogical field, carried out on a qualitative level (through focus groups with parents, educators/teachers, and pediatricians), on a quantitative level (with a questionnaire for educational staff and a questionnaire for parents).