ABSTRACT
The millennium generation is earmarked with their innate affinity for the technology systems and is fostering swift technology-based development throughout the globe. The Covid pandemic has greatly accelerated technology implementation, especially in the education systems. However, the Technology Anxiety and the attitudinal Technology Barriers of the educators impeded the Technology Adoption process even during the virtual education days. This descriptive research is conducted with 851 random sample responses from the teachers. The study identified that the teachers' Technology Anxiety and attitudinal barriers have a significant mediatory effect on their Technology Exposure to Technology Adoption. Gender and other demographic factors have little influence on the mediation. Teachers' attitudinal barriers negatively influenced their Technology Adoption © 2022 IEEE.
ABSTRACT
Digital technology systems are adopted rapidly throughout the globe for the virtual learning process especially with the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Digital screen-based gadgets are integrated to provide a seamless interactive medium of learning even before the initiation of formal education. Studies on the technology use of younger children are critical as uncontrolled gadget use affects their developmental stages yet these studies are still in the infancy stage. This study analyses the impact of extended use of digital gadgets and mobile dependency on early childhood manifested through their cognition, socialization and behaviour. This descriptive study is based on the random responses of 511 parents about their young children of 3-6 years distributed at five civil districts of Kerala State. From the analysis, it is found that the extended use of digital gadgets influenced young children’s mobile dependency, socialization process, cognition and behaviour patterns. The young children exhibited alienation tendencies and behavioural deviations which are correlated to their screen time. Both male and female reported similar results. Significant differences were observed by the parents with respect to the age of the children and their parental characteristics. Their mobile dependency mediated their extended digital Screen Time to the Behaviour. Significant relation was predicted by extended Screen Time on Behaviour of the students with a partial sequential path through mobile Dependency, Cognition and Socialization. The study sheds light on the urgency of parental care and implementation of a balanced gadget usage system to reduce the detrimental impacts of gadget usage. © 2022 Research Group Education and Virtual Learning (GREAV). All rights reserved.