Parents' perceptions about the values and benefits of electronic games on young children in Jordan: A case study

Parents' perceptions about the values and benefits of electronic games on young children in Jordan: A case study

The popularity of electronic games among young children is increasing in both Western and Arab countries. The COVID-19 epidemic escalated the use of electronic games for both fun and educational purposes. For families with young children aged 18 months to 4.5 years, parents are recognised as gatekeepers for children’s use of electronic games; however, with this comes their conflicting perspectives on the values and benefits of electronic games. Much of the existing literature on the use of electronic games has focused on Western contexts, neglecting to explore the influence of culture on parental perceptions and subsequent decisions regarding electronic game use. This study explored this phenomenon within the specific context of Jordanian families, with the intent to better understand their perspectives on this phenomenon. Moreover, the study sought to reveal the extent to which Jordanian culture influenced their perspectives and decision-making towards children’s access to electronic games. The data consisted of semi-structured interviews, photo documentation and naturalistic contextual observations. These approaches were applied to a purposeful sample of parents with small children, with a total of 10 participant families (N = 12). Thematic analysis was employed for the process of analysing the data. Findings highlight a strong correlation between culture, religion, and the decision-making process of parents regarding children’s use of electronic games. However, several extraordinary factors, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the developmental level and age of children, at times overrode other priority areas. This study contributes to the body of literature and research related to parental values and decision-making in young children’s use of electronic games by broadening key insights into this phenomenon to Jordanian contexts and young families.

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