Infancy in the digital age: what do parents think about the use of digital tools

Infancy is a sensitive period of life and represents a critical and vulnerable stage of development. During this period, environmental factors, parent – child interactions, and the life experiences offered to the child play an important role in shaping development. In recent years, as digital technology has become more widespread, infants’ exposure to digital tools and the ways these tools are used have gained importance in relation to development. The primary aim of this study is to examine in depth parents’ views on the use of digital tools during infancy and to explore how this use is shaped within the framework of parental experiences, perceptions and usage practices. The research was conducted using the case study technique, one of the qualitative research methods. Thirty-seven parents of infants aged between 6 and 36 months participated in the study. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with participants, using a personal information form and semi-structured interviews, and were analyzed using descriptive analysis methods. The findings indicated that parents had high levels of digital literacy, faced challenges in infant care, and used digital tools to support development. They mainly used these tools for feeding, soothing, and providing educational support for their infants’ developmental progress.