Digital education — screens and technology at child height

Tablets, digital cameras, and learning apps are now part of everyday life in many Danish childcare facilities. At the same time, there is great political and professional attention to how young children encounter digital media – both in the institution and at home.

A broad political agreement has set guidelines for the use of digital tools in services for 3-5-year-olds: digital tools may only be used in educational work if it can be justified pedagogically in relation to children's wellbeing, learning, development and formation. The purpose is to prevent screens being used as mere storage or entertainment without pedagogical purpose.

The Media Council for Children and Young People points out that a narrow focus on screen time in minutes makes no sense in a world where digital technologies are ubiquitous. What matters instead is the content, the context the activity is part of, and the relationships it is connected to – the content should suit the child's age and maturity. With the initiative 'First Digital Steps', the Media Council offers concrete knowledge and activities aimed at professionals working with 3-6-year-olds.

• 01Use tablets and digital tools consciously for shared, time-limited activities – not as a 'digital babysitter'.
• 02Choose content that matches the children's age and maturity, and be present with the children while they use it.
• 03Talk with children about what they experience on the screen, just as you would talk about a book or game.
• 04Be aware of whether digital activities are replacing physical play, nature and direct contact rather than supplementing it.

Digital education starts already in day care but lives on at home. Good cooperation with parents about how digital media is used both at the institution and in the family makes the experience more coherent for the child. Openness about what children do on screens at the institution and a shared understanding of what is age-appropriate content creates reassurance for parents.

“The question is rarely whether the screen is on or off – but what happens while it is on, and who is with the child.”