The latest research from Fundamentally Children is looking at the reported ‘digital divide’ which results in very young children being more digitally knowledgeable than their older relatives.
The paper, which was written by Dr Amanda Gummer and Anna Taylor, has now been published by the International Toy Research Association. Titled Connected Grandparents: Are Smart Toys the Future for Intergenerational Play?, this is the latest piece of research into toys and play habits from the organisation.
The findings of the research – which spoke to grandparents aged 55 to 85 – showed that overall they had a neutral attitude towards technology, digital games and smart toys.
However, the research did find that the two generations rarely played digital games together, as there was little access to multiplayer games which are suitable for both ages and skill levels.
It was found that the children were more likely to put themselves in charge of the digital, screen-based element of the games, while the grandparents preferred the physical aspect (such as animal-themed building blocks). Older participants reported that they liked the sensory aspect of the physical toys, which couldn’t be gained from a screen, along with the increased social interactivity of the game.
“The Connected Grandparents research threw up some really interesting results in how intergenerational play can work in a connected, digital era,” said researcher Anna Taylor.
“Intergenerational play is a really important part of children’s social and emotional development and we’ll be looking to follow this piece of research up by looking at… the opportunities for toy companies to create opportunities for digital play between the two generations.”
The full report can be read online here.
The research findings will be presented at the Children’s Media Conference on 3rd – 4th July as: Gaming Grannies: Connecting grandparents and grandchildren through digital games.
