Resumen de Exploring the development of executive functions in children in a digital world
Aleksander N. Veraksa, Nicolay E. Veraksa, Daria Bukhalenkova, Roger Säljö
Children in many parts of the world spend increasing time using digital devices (tablets, mobile phones etc.). In the present study, the developmental consequences of interacting with and through such devices are explored from a cultural–historical perspective with a focus on the development of executive functions. What makes digital devices interesting from a cultural–historical perspective is that they are both physical tools and cognitive/psychological means. In the article, an empirical study is reported of the relationships between the frequency of using digital devices and the kinds of activities that preschool children report engaging in when using them, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, the level of executive functions development. The results show that there are clear empirical relationships between the kinds of activities children engage in and their performance on executive functions tests. Frequency of use, the nature of the interaction, and adult presence seem to be factors that co-determine how children use such artifacts, and these patterns, in turn, are related to the level of executive functions development.
