The communicative construction of families: emerging trends in the age of deep mediatisation
Date
2023-07-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Tänapäeval on perekonnad üha enam ümbritsetud meediast, see tähendab erinevatest tehnoloogilistest seadmetest ja suhtlust vahendavatest keskkondadest. Samas on nüüdne meedia rohkem kui lihtsalt suhtlusvahendid, võimaldades näiteks koguda kasutajate kohta reaalajas andmeid. Selline andmete kogumine tekitab tõsiseid küsimusi laste ja vanemate privaatsuse ning nende õiguste kohta – meedia tarbimine on enamasti seotud laialdase jälgimisega ja sageli toimub see kasutajate teadmata. Hiljutine digiteerimise ja andmestumise laine on seega toonud meid uude süvameediastumise ajastusse, kus meediatehnoloogiad on põimunud meie igapäevaeluga. Doktoritöö „Perekondade kommunikatiivne konstrueerimine: tärkavad trendid süvameediastumise ajastul“ aitab mõista, kuidas muutuvad perekonnad ühes tehnoloogiaga, ja mis on selle muutuse tagajärjed. Selle eesmärgi täitmiseks toetub doktoritöö nii laste kui ka vanematega tehtud Q-metodoloogilisele uuringule ja intervjuudele, aga ka üleeuroopalisele küsitlusuuringule EU Kids Online. Doktoritöö tulemustest nähtub, et meedia on kujundamas ümber perekonnaelu: digitehnoloogiate abil on võimalik olla perekond isegi siis, kui ollakse ajas ja ruumis hajutatud. Üha enam oodatakse vanematelt digitaalsete abivahendite, näiteks jälgimisrakenduste, kasutamist. Sellised tehnoloogiad lisavad traditsioonilistele vanemakohustustele uusi nõudmisi. Kuigi digitehnoloogiad võivad pereliikmeid kaasata ja jõustada, võivad need ka muuta olemasolevaid võimudünaamikaid vanemate ja laste vahel. Seda ilmestab jälgimisrakenduste kasutamine, mida vanemad lastega arutada ei pruugi. Veelgi enam – sageli peavad lapsevanemad privaatsuse küsimusi vähetähtsaks või laste jaoks arusaamatuks. Privaatsusega seonduv perekonnas mängib aga olulist rolli selles, kuidas lapsed õpivad oma privaatset teavet ka väljaspool kodu haldama.
Nowadays, families are increasingly surrounded by the media, including various technological devices and environments mediating communication. However, today's media are more than just a means of communication – they also serve as tools for real-time data collection about the people who use them. This data collection poses an issue for the privacy and rights of children and parents, as their media consumption is subject to widespread commercial surveillance that frequently occurs without their awareness. The recent wave of digitalisation and datafication has therefore ushered us into a new era of deep mediatisation, where media technologies are intertwined with our everyday lives. The doctoral thesis "The communicative construction of families: emerging trends in the age of deep mediatisation" aims to understand how families are changing alongside technology and what the consequences are of this change. To achieve this goal, the thesis relies on a Q methodological study and interviews conducted with both children and parents, as well as a pan-European survey called EU Kids Online. The results of the thesis show that the media is causing a significant transformation of family life: through digital technologies, it is possible to “do family” even when dispersed across space and time. There is also an increasing expectation for parents to use digital tools, such as tracking apps. These technologies add to traditional parenting duties. Although digital technologies have the potential to empower and include, they can also intensify pre-existing power dynamics between parents and children. This is exemplified by the use of tracking apps, which parents may not discuss with their children. Furthermore, parents often consider privacy issues as unimportant or incomprehensible to children. However, privacy related discussions in families play a significant role in how children learn to manage their private information outside of home.
Nowadays, families are increasingly surrounded by the media, including various technological devices and environments mediating communication. However, today's media are more than just a means of communication – they also serve as tools for real-time data collection about the people who use them. This data collection poses an issue for the privacy and rights of children and parents, as their media consumption is subject to widespread commercial surveillance that frequently occurs without their awareness. The recent wave of digitalisation and datafication has therefore ushered us into a new era of deep mediatisation, where media technologies are intertwined with our everyday lives. The doctoral thesis "The communicative construction of families: emerging trends in the age of deep mediatisation" aims to understand how families are changing alongside technology and what the consequences are of this change. To achieve this goal, the thesis relies on a Q methodological study and interviews conducted with both children and parents, as well as a pan-European survey called EU Kids Online. The results of the thesis show that the media is causing a significant transformation of family life: through digital technologies, it is possible to “do family” even when dispersed across space and time. There is also an increasing expectation for parents to use digital tools, such as tracking apps. These technologies add to traditional parenting duties. Although digital technologies have the potential to empower and include, they can also intensify pre-existing power dynamics between parents and children. This is exemplified by the use of tracking apps, which parents may not discuss with their children. Furthermore, parents often consider privacy issues as unimportant or incomprehensible to children. However, privacy related discussions in families play a significant role in how children learn to manage their private information outside of home.
Description
Väitekirja elektrooniline versioon ei sisalda publikatsioone
Keywords
electronic communication, electronic media, digital technologies, network communication, family, family relations