Hacking early childhood: workshops explore the benefits and dangers of digital technologies for early childhood development

Abstract

Technology is revolutionising the world at an accelerating pace, while also entering the earlychildhood domain. However, considering the importance of neurodevelopment in the first 1 000 days of a child's life, do we really understand the implications of deploying digital technology for things like entertainment, education, diagnostics and childcare? Will it enable or undermine early development? The HSRC's Alastair van Heerden spoke to Antoinette Oosthuizen about two workshops held with international colleagues to explore these questions.