Experts to gather at ECU to share insights on parenting in the digital age 

Leading Australian and international experts will gather at Edith Cowan University (ECU) tomorrow to share insights from decades of research talking with families about digital media use, including concerns around children’s screentime. 

The Parents, Young Children and Digital Media Symposium is a free seminar open to parents, educators, researchers and members of the public on Thursday 20 February at ECU. It is hosted by the Edith Cowan University and Curtin University nodes of the Australian Research Council funded Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child. 

Chief Investigator with the Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child and one of Australia’s leading experts on children and young people’s digital lives, ECU’s Professor of Communications Leila Green will share her insights for first time parents about how to navigate their child’s digital future. 

“Many parents may be understandably anxious when it comes to young children’s screen time use,” Professor Green said. 

“They’ve heard the recommendations about no screen time under two years of age. Some experts seem to think that screen time can shorten attention span, slow down children’s language development, impact sleep quality, reduce sociability and lead ultimately to obesity – among other risks,” she said, “but no one is talking about the benefits.” 

Professor Green has spent the past 10 years talking to families about their very young children’s screen time use and what they see as advantages and disadvantages—and there are some of both. She says, “it’s complicated”. 

“The digital world is now an everyday part of children’s lives, whether through entertainment, education, or family communication,” Professor Green said. 

“Instead of asking ‘how do we keep kids away from digital media?’, we should be asking ‘how do we support families in navigating this space safely and effectively?’” 

Positives to balance the dire warnings 

The symposium will explore real-world experiences of digital parenting and offer research-based insights into what families have said works for them. 

Among the panel members and topics:

• Distinguished Professor Susan Danby from Queensland University of Technology, the Director of the Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child.
• Dr Fiona Scott from Sheffield University, UK, an international partner and currently writing a book on how educators can build on young children’s digital media experiences in the home.
• Professor Karen Murcia, Ms Emma Cross and Ms Sarsha Mennell from Curtin University, investigating children’s creative agency within digital play and learning and exploring the impact of shared play experiences on parent-child negotiations.
• Professor Tama Leaver and Dr Suzanne Srdarov from Curtin University whose research focuses on children’s data, datafication and the impact of Generative AI tools, as well as the representation of technologies in the children’s television series Bluey.
• Stephanie Milford, an ECU researcher who has immersed herself in the fears, concerns, and hopes shared by parents of young children.
• Dr Catherine Archer ECU researcher who has investigated the privacy and safety concerns of sharing kids’ data online.
• Dr Sinead Wilson, a Curtin researcher who investigates parents’ digital mediation strategies for young children.  
• Dr Katrin Langton and Dr Kate Mannell, Research Fellows from Deakin University, whose work focuses on the use of digital technologies and their role in the everyday lives of families and young people.
• Dr Sumudu Mallawaarachchi from University of Wollongong who focuses on children’s digital technology use. She and her colleagues’ systematic review of screentime studies have swept Australian media.
• Simon Daniele, a Curtin PhD researcher who investigates parents and children accessing multiple digital platforms to creatively investigate and share problem solving.
• Professor Lisa Whitehead from ECU, who has investigated the construction of digital identities for children living with Type 1 Diabetes.
• Harrison See and Giselle Woodley from ECU, who investigated children’s expression of digital identity, creativity and agency.

Professor Green said children today are growing up in a world where digital technology is an integral part of life.  

“We need to move beyond moral panic and understand how digital experiences can be shaped to benefit young children and their families,” she said. 

“Parents often start out with strong views about screen time and social media, but those ideas shift as their child grows, interacts with peers, and starts school.” 

“Digital parenting isn’t one-size-fits-all, and families need adaptable strategies. This symposium will offer those.” 

See the full list of topics and speakers here.  

Event Details: 

Parents, Young Children and Digital Media Symposium 

Date: Thursday, 20 February 2025 

Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM 

Location: Room ML10.131. Edith Cowan University, Mount Lawley Campus, 2 Bradford Street, Mount Lawley, WA, 6050. 

For more information and to register for the event, visit the trybooking webpage.