O uso da internet por crianças de 7 a 9 anos, a mediação parental e as implicações para o contexto educacional

Abstract

This research aimed to analyze the use of the internet by children aged 7 to 9 in a public school in Salinas – MG, examining the implications of this usage for the teaching and learning process, with an emphasis on parental mediation. The study sought to understand how the internet is integrated into school and family contexts, highlighting the role of parents and teachers in guiding and supervising the use of digital technologies. Data were collected through focus groups with 15 children aged 7 to 9, 14 questionnaires administered to parents, and 4 interviews with teachers, and were analyzed qualitatively. The theoretical framework was based on authors such as Castells (1999), Santaella (2003), Bakhtin (1997), Moran (1995), Neuman and Missel (2019), Rivoltella and Fantin (2010), Muller and Fantin (2022), Fernandes, Maia, and Helley (2019), Chapman and Pellicane (2020), the Brazilian Society of Pediatrics (2024), and Maidel and Vieira (2015), who discuss the challenges and possibilities of education in times of digital culture. The research is basic in nature, with a qualitative and explanatory approach. The results show that the participants frequently access the internet, primarily for entertainment purposes, mainly using YouTube and online games, often without direct adult supervision. The identified parental mediation was predominantly permissive or restrictive, with limited presence of dialogic and educational practices. The participating teachers reported ambivalent perceptions regarding the impacts of internet use on school life: while they recognize a certain digital fluency and familiarity with multimodal languages among children, they also point to difficulties related to attention, socialization, and the development of oral and written language. It is concluded that active mediation and school-family partnerships are essential to minimize the risks associated with excessive or inappropriate use of digital technologies and to enhance their benefits in the learning process and in children's holistic development. Thus, the findings highlight the urgency of more participatory and critical educational and parental practices capable of promoting conscious, ethical, and productive internet use by children.