Parents’ Perceptions of the Family’s Role in Employing Digital Technologies to Shape the Cultural Identity of Early Childhood Children

The study aimed to explore parents’ perceptions of the family’s role in employing digital technologies to shape cultural identity among early childhood children in Al-Ahsa Governorate, Saudi Arabia, using a qualitative approach. Semistructured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of (18) parents from diverse educational and professional backgrounds, and the data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. The findings revealed two main themes. The first was family guidance as a decisive factor in employing technology to enhance cultural identity. This included family awareness of the role of digital content, regulating time and content of use, activating family dialogue to build children’s digital awareness, using digital technologies to enhance awareness of religious and national occasions, and integrating digital technologies with traditional practices. The second theme concerned challenges to preserving identity in the digital environment, including the dominance of foreign content, limited attractive Arabic alternatives, and reduced direct social interaction among children, along with family strategies for addressing these challenges. The study recommends adopting awareness programs for parents in cultural digital parenting, focusing on selecting appropriate content, engaging children in its use, and connecting it to family, religious, and national practices to support children’s cultural identity.