Enfances, Familles, Générations (Sep 2023)
Les nouvelles technologies au service de la relation grand-parentale durant les premières années de vie du petit-enfant
Abstract
Research framework: While the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) is ubiquitous in family relationships, little is known about their place in the grandparental relationship, especially during grandchildren’s first years of life.Objectives: The aim of this research is to understand how grandparents describe and conceptualize the use of ICTs within their relationship with a grandchild aged five years old or younger. We also examine grandparents’ perspectives on the advantages and limitations of using ICTs in the grandparental relationship.Method: This research was part of a mixed-method study. Grandparents living in Quebec (Canada) who participated in a larger quantitative survey were selected for semi-structured interviews based on diverse patterns of ICT use in interactions with one of their grandchildren aged five or under.Results: Grandparents described ICTs as offering opportunities to strengthen their relationship with their grandchild. ICTs enabled them to consolidate the bonds with their grandchild by offering new intergenerational interactions as a complement to their in-person interactions. The use of ICTs seemed to be dependent on the family ecology.Conclusions: When used, ICTs can foster the grandparent relationship by offering ways of interacting that are complementary to in-person interactions. ICTs were not only used out of necessity by grandparents who lived far from their grandchild, but also as a choice by those who lived nearby. ICT use helped to strengthen the sense of closeness that grandparents feel towards their grandchild.Contribution: This article offers insights into the role of ICTs in creating and maintaining the grandparental relationship during early childhood. It suggests practices that may help to foster this relationship.
