Juveniles, Equality and Digitalization (JEDi)

This research project studies the impact of digital media use on development and equality of opportunities in a longitudinal perspective, at cognitive, social and identity level. 

Today’s children and youth (C&Y) are immersed in digital media in the full media landscape that surrounds them across contexts. The Covid pandemic revealed inequal opportunities for C&Y to use digital media. There are differences in digital media access, motivation/skills to use digital media, and support of key persons (e.g., parents/teachers/peers) herein. Understanding mechanisms in C&Y’s digital media use related to their development helps them and key persons to act in evidence-informed ways to reduce inequality. A better understanding of these factors is especially important during transition periods (i.e., from kindergarten to primary school or the early years in secondary school). During these periods, deviations in development could strongly impact C&Y’s opportunities.

Our aim is that scientists, parents, professionals and C&Y understand the mechanisms that influence the relations between C&Y's digital media use, their development and opportunities. Furthermore, we want to develop skills and tools to support a positive impact of C&Y’s digital media use on development and equality of opportunities.

This research project studies the impact of digital media use on development and equality of opportunities in a longitudinal perspective, at cognitive, social and identity level. The project is innovative in taking the full cross-contextual media landscape into account, and in combining longitudinal studies with experimental and/or ESM studies for insight in real-time processes in the daily lives of adolescents. This includes the role of key persons, individual dispositions and background factors in development. Furthermore, it adopts a knowledge-chain-wide research approach that combines fundamental, applied and practice-oriented research resulting in tested interventions/tools for practice.

ROAs part of the research project focuses on identity development during the early years in secondary school.

Funded by: the Dutch National Research Agenda (NWA.1433.20.002)

Duration: September 2022 – August 2027

Partner organizations: Universiteit Utrecht, Universiteit Leiden, Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen, Universiteit Twente, Hogeschool Windesheim and Fontys Hogeschool, Nederlands Jeugdinstituut, Stichting Kennisnet, Stichting Lezen, Lucas Onderwijs, Trimbos-instituut, Centrum voor Jeugd en Gezin Rijnmond and Social Schools International BV.

For more information see project website (in Dutch): https://jedi.sites.uu.nl/