Information and Communication Technology: A Descriptive Study of Children's Communication Patterns

Abstract

The emergence of information and communication technologies as primary agents of socialisation has raised concerns for child practitioners and researchers alike. Recent findings which indicate that children and adolescents are using these technologies in relative isolation from adult influence are of particular concern. We investigated children's communication patterns with various people including parents, teachers, siblings, and peers. More specifically, we explicated children's predilection for communicating with the various people, as well as the frequency of these communications. The sample was selected from nine schools in the Western Cape and consisted of 1002 learners, between the ages of 13 and 16 years, equally differentiated by gender. The sample also included the parents of these learners. A structured instrument was administered to the children in a controlled classroom environment. Parents completed the instrument as a self-administered questionnaire. The findings conform to international trends with children generally reporting low levels of communication with adults, but higher levels with peers and siblings. Of particular concern was the low level of communication between children and teachers. The findings further suggest conspicuous discrepancies between parents' and children's perceptions of these communication patterns. Finally, the results elucidate significant gender disparities in the communication patterns of the respondents.