Gelişimsel Gerilik/Sorunlar
Özet
Son yıllarda dünya genelinde çocukların dijital cihaz kullanımının belirgin biçimde arttığı ve bu teknolojilerle ilk karşılaşma yaşının giderek daha erken dönemlere indiği bildirilmektedir (Boniel-Nissim vd., 2024; McArthur vd., 2022; Ofcom, 2024). Örneğin 1970’lerde çocuklar düzenli olarak televizyon izlemeye yaklaşık 4 yaşında başlarken, günümüzde 4 aylık bebeklerin dahi dijital medyayla etkileşime girmeye başladığı belirtilmektedir (Chassiakos vd., 2016). Bu eğilim, literatürde yer alan sistematik derleme ve geniş ölçekli araştırmaların bulgularıyla da örtüşmektedir (Gaol ve Fajar, 2025; Schmid vd., 2025; Swider-Cios vd., 2023). Türkiye’de yapılan araştırmalar da benzer şekilde çocukların dijital medya ile erken yaşlardan itibaren yoğun biçimde etkileşim kurduğunu göstermektedir. İnternet kullanan çocukların önemli bir bölümünde günlük kullanım süresi iki saati aşmaktadır. Hafta içi bu oran 6–10 yaş grubunda %30,6 ve 11–15 yaş grubunda %54,4 iken, hafta sonu sırasıyla %43,2 ve %63,5’e yükselmektedir (TÜİK, 2024). Bununla birlikte erken çocukluk dönemine (EÇD) odaklanan çalışmalar da yüksek düzeyde ekran maruziyetine işaret etmektedir. 0–3 yaş grubunda günlük ortalama ekran süresi 101,8 dakika olup, Dünya Sağlık Örgütü’nün önerilerini aşan maruziyet oranı özellikle 13–24 ay grubunda %84,3’e ulaşmaktadır (Kurap vd., 2025). 2–6 yaş grubunda ortalama ekran süresi 86 dakika olarak belirlenmiş ve 6–9 yaş grubunda çocukların %35,5’inin günde iki saat ve üzeri ekran kullandığı bildirilmektedir. EÇD’de yalnızca televizyon izleme süresinin günlük ortalaması ise 2,2 saat olarak rapor edilmiştir (Yalçın vd., 2021). Bu dönemde ekran maruziyeti çoğunlukla televizyon, tablet ve akıllı telefon aracılığıyla gerçekleşmekte ve kullanım süresi yaş ilerledikçe artış göstermektedir (Kurap vd., 2025; Yalçın vd., 2021). Ayrıca 2022 yılında yayımlanan ve 63 çalışmayı kapsayan bir meta-analiz, 2 yaş altındaki çocukların yalnızca %25’inin, 2–5 yaş aralığındaki çocukların ise yaklaşık %33’ünün Amerikan Pediatri Akademisi’nin (AAP) önerdiği ekran süresi sınırlarına uyduğunu ortaya koymuştur (McArthur vd., 2022).
AAP (2016), 18–24 aydan küçük çocuklarda ekran kullanımından kaçınılmasını; 2–5 yaş aralığında ise ekran süresinin günde en fazla bir saatle sınırlandırılmasını önermektedir. Akademinin güncel politika belgelerinde ise dijital medya kullanımının yalnızca ekran süresi üzerinden değerlendirilmesinin yeterli olmadığı; EÇD’de medya kullanımının içerik kalitesi, kullanım bağlamı, ebeveyn rehberliği ve maruz kalınan içerik türleri gibi boyutlarla birlikte ele alınması gerektiği vurgulanmaktadır (AAP, 2026). Benzer şekilde Dünya Sağlık Örgütü (WHO, 2019), 2 yaşın altındaki çocuklarda ekran kullanımını önermemekte; 2–4 yaş aralığındaki çocuklarda ekran süresinin günde en fazla bir saat olacak şekilde sınırlandırılmasını önermektedir. Bu sınırlamaların temelinde, erken yaşta artan dijital medya kullanımının neden olabileceği gelişimsel ve psikososyal riskler yer almaktadır. Bu risklerin en önemli yansımalarından biri ise literatürde “Problemli Medya Kullanımı (PMK)” olarak tanımlanan davranış örüntüleridir (Domoff vd., 2019; Rega vd., 2023; Swit vd., 2023). Alan yazında PMK, bireyin günlük rutinlerini olumsuz yönde etkileyen aşırı ve kontrolsüz dijital medya kullanımı olarak tanımlanmakta (Domoff vd., 2020); dijital medya kullanımına aşırı düşkünlük, diğer etkinliklerden uzaklaşma, uzun süreli kullanım karşısında tolerans gelişimi, ebeveynlerin çocukların medya kullanımını sınırlandırma ve kuralları uygulamada güçlük yaşaması, zorlayıcı duygularla başa çıkma aracı olarak medyaya yönelme, kullanıma ilişkin dürüst olmama ve bu sürece bağlı gelişimsel ve psikososyal sorunların ortaya çıkması gibi belirtilerle kendini göstermektedir (Coyne vd., 2022; Domoff vd., 2019; Swit, 2023). Ayrıca PMK’nın EÇD ile sınırlı olmadığı; oyun ve internet bağımlılığı gibi davranışsal bağımlılık örüntülerine evrilerek ergenlik döneminde de sürdüğü ve sosyal ilişkiler, ruh sağlığı ile akademik başarı üzerinde olumsuz sonuçlar doğurduğu görülmüştür (Jeong vd., 2021; Tan vd., 2024). Bu bağlamda EÇD’de PMK örüntülerinin hem gelişimsel süreçleri olumsuz etkilemesi hem de ilerleyen dönemlerde davranışsal bağımlılık biçimlerine dönüşerek süreklilik göstermesi, konunun gelişimsel açıdan kapsamlı biçimde ele alınmasını gerekli kılmaktadır. Bu bağlamda ilgili bölümde, PMK’nın EÇD’deki gelişimsel etkileri; bilişsel, dil sosyal-duygusal, ve fiziksel gelişim boyutları çerçevesinde ele alınacak; alan yazındaki kuramsal yaklaşımlar ve güncel ampirik bulgular ışığında değerlendirilecektir.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Erken çocukluk dönemi, problemli medya, gelişimsel etkiler
Konu Alanı: Sosyal Bilimler -> Eğitim -> Erken Çocukluk Eğitimi
KAYNAKÇA
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