Neutralizing the negative impact of digital devices and the Internet on children under 11: a sociological approach

The work is devoted to the problem of excessive impact of digital devices and the Internet on the younger generation. The subject of the study was digital consumption by children before adolescence. The author examines in detail such aspects of the topic as the peculiarities of introducing children to digital devices and the Internet, the positive and negative consequences of digital socialization, the forms of content preferred by children, the socializing functions and culture of digital consumption of children, as well as the role of adults in the process of forming the latter. It is noted that early introduction to digital devices has become an obligatory part of modern upbringing of children. The main attention is paid to the harmonization of digital socialization of the younger generation in the context of rapid development of technologies and information flows. The author conducted a sociological analysis of digital consumption by children under 11 years of age. The paper presents the results of a survey of 207 families from Moscow and the Moscow region in 2023, as well as an expert survey of 12 experts in the field of child rearing, preschool and primary school education in 2024. The study revealed that children are introduced to digital devices starting from the age of one and a half to two years. Negative consequences include health and developmental disorders, while positive impact is associated with increased competitiveness and development of cognitive skills of the child. The novelty of the study lies in the fact that the author offers specific recommendations for harmonizing digital consumption. A conclusion is made about the need to form a culture of digital consumption from an early age, as well as the role of parents and teachers as mediators in the process of digital socialization.