The impact of digital literacy on cognitive development in early childhood
Keywords:
digital literacy, early childhood, young child, digital competence, digital technologiesAbstract
This study looks at how digital tools affect early childhood education, how theoretical frameworks guide digital literacy practices, and how to balance digital and traditional literacy activities. The study concludes, based on a literature review, that interactive learning experiences and digital tools such as educational apps and tablets can enhance engagement and complement traditional methods. Though, well, circumstances are such that kids will get excessively dependent on technology, which could limit their opportunities for physical play and face-to-face interaction. Theoretical frameworks, such as constructivist and sociocultural perspectives, emphasize the need to integrate digital literacy in a balanced manner that supports comprehensive development. To provide students with a well-rounded educational experience, the study emphasizes integrating digital tools with traditional literacy activities. Access issues and cultural differences are also raised, highlighting the importance of context-sensitive approaches and further research. Overall, even though digital tools can improve early childhood education, they should be used alongside more conventional methods to ensure students receive a complete education and are treated equally.
Downloads
References
Erstad, O., & Gillen, J. (2019). Theorizing digital literacy practices in early childhood. In The Routledge handbook of digital literacies in early childhood (pp. 31–44). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203730638-3
Erstad, O., Flewitt, R., Kümmerling-Meibauer, B., & Pereira, Í. S. P. (2019). Introduction: The emerging field of digital literacies in early childhood. In The Routledge handbook of digital literacies in early childhood (pp. 1–16). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203730638-1
Green, L. (2014). Children's digital literacies: A contested space. Fusion Journal, (5), 1–15.
Hassan, A. A. U., Fazal, M., & Sheikh, M. A. (2024). Digital learning of children through YouTube: Perception of young parents in Lahore. Online Media and Society, 5(1), 25–35.
Hatzigianni, M., & Kalaitzidis, I. (2018). Early childhood educators' attitudes and beliefs about the use of computers. International Journal of Early Years Education, 26(2), 151–167. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760.2018.1444584
Herdzina, J., & Lauricella, A. R. (2020). Media literacy in early childhood report. Erikson Institute.
Kontkanen, S., Pöntinen, S., Kewalramani, S., Veresov, N., & Havu-Nuutinen, S. (2023). Children's digital competence in early childhood education: A comparative analysis of curricula. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 19(1), em2215. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/12711
Kontovourki, S., et al. (2017). Digital literacy in the early years: Practices in formal settings, teacher education, and the role of informal learning spaces. COST Action IS1410.
Kucirkova, N. (2017). Digital personalization in early childhood. Bloomsbury Academic. https://doi.org/10.5040/9781474251785
Livingstone, S. (2012). Critical reflections on the benefits of ICT in education. Oxford Review of Education, 38(1), 9–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2011.577938
Marsh, J. (Ed.). (2005). Popular culture, new media and digital literacy in early childhood. Psychology Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203028360
Marsh, J. (2006). Emergent media literacy: Digital animation in early childhood. Language and Education, 20(6), 493–506. https://doi.org/10.2167/le660.0
Masoumi, D., & Bourbour, M. (2023). Adequate digital competence in early childhood education. Ubiquity Proceedings, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.5334/uproc.54
Masyhura, N. (2022). Implementation of digital literacy in elementary schools. Journal of Education, 1(2), 45–58.
Maureen, I. Y., Van der Meij, H., & De Jong, T. (2018). Supporting literacy and digital literacy development in early childhood education using storytelling activities. International Journal of Early Childhood, 50(3), 371–389. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13158-018-0232-9
Meng, Q., Yan, Z., Abbas, J., Shankar, A., & Subramanian, M. (2023). Human–computer interaction and digital literacy promote educational learning in pre-school children. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2023.2184656
Nascimbeni, F., & Vosloo, S. (2019). Digital literacy for children: Exploring definitions and frameworks. UNICEF.
Palaiologou, I. (2016). Children under five and digital technologies: Implications for early years pedagogy. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 24(1), 5–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2014.929876
Pires Pereira, Í. S., Parente, M. C. C., & da Silva, M. C. V. (2023). Digital literacy in early childhood education: What can we learn from innovative practitioners? International Journal of Early Years Education, 31(1), 287–301. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760.2020.1848523
Plowman, L., & McPake, J. (2013). Seven myths about young children and technology. Childhood Education, 89(1), 27–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/00094056.2013.757195
Poveda, D. (2019). Researching digital literacy practices in early childhood: Challenges, complexities and imperatives. In The Routledge handbook of digital literacies in early childhood (pp. 45–63). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203730638-4
Pynnönen, L. (2019). Digital game-based learning for early childhood: Guardians' attitudes in Pakistan and Bangladesh. European Conference on Games Based Learning, 917–XXI. https://doi.org/10.34190/GBL.19.161
Razfar, A., & Yang, E. (2010). Digital, hybrid, multilingual literacy practices in early childhood. Language Arts, 88(2), 114–124.
Saleha, L., Baharun, H., & Utami, W. T. (2022). Implementation of digital literacy to develop social emotional skills in early childhood. Indonesian Journal of Early Childhood Educational Research, 1(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.51912/ijecer.v1i1.3
Scott, F., & Marsh, J. (2018). Digital literacies in early childhood. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.104
Stephen, C., & Plowman, L. (2014). Digital play in the early years. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315814599
Su, J., & Yang, W. (2024). Digital competence in early childhood education: A systematic review. Education and Information Technologies, 29(4), 4885–4933. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11818-w
Suwarto, D. H., Setiawan, B., & Machmiyah, S. (2022). Developing digital literacy practices in Yogyakarta elementary schools. Electronic Journal of E-Learning, 20(2), 101–111. https://doi.org/10.34190/ejel.20.2.2215
Tatminingsih, S. (2022). Implementation of digital literacy in Indonesia early childhood education. International Journal of Emerging Issues in Early Childhood Education, 4(1), 12–22. https://doi.org/10.31098/ijeiece.v4i1.879
Yelland, N. (2011). Reconceptualising play and learning in the 21st century. McGraw-Hill Education
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Malka Shahzadi, Malika Shahzadi (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.


