Constructing the young child media user in Australia: a discourse analysis of Facebook comments

Children's use of screen-based digital media is presently a topic of intense public debate. In this paper we present the results of a discourse analysis of Facebook comments responding to the proposal that iPads be used by children in early years education. We found that respondents typically drew upon one of three core stances to talk about children and screen-based media use. Of these, the most dominant stance posited that children's "screen time" was problematic. This popular discourse is out of alignment with government discourses promoting the use of screen-based devices in education. By illuminating the discord between different constructions of childhood, the role of education, and screen-based media this paper contributes to an ecologically valid understanding of the role of digital media in contemporary childhoods.