Relevance and purpose of the study. Studying the impact of digital technologies on the development of preschool children is one of the topical areas of modern psychology. Digital devices become part of the microenvironment of a child’s development from the first years of their life. However, their impact on a preschooler, is associated, on the one hand, with the discovery of new opportunities, and, on the other hand, with the emergence of risks and difficulties, is a great challenge for parents, teachers, and psychologists. In this regard, the study was aimed at identifying the features of the use of digital devices (tablet / computer) as components of the family educational microenvironment and studying their influence on the intellectual development of older preschoolers.
Sample consisted of 200 preschoolers aged 6-7 years, their parents (mainly mothers) from Moscow city.
Methods. Methods of express diagnostics of intellectual abilities /MEDIS, (E.I.Scheblanova, I.S.Averina, E.N.Zadorina); expert evaluation of intellectual and creative activity, creative thinking of preschoolers in a specially designed game lesson; the survey of the parents about the use of a tablet / computer at home for the development of a child (frequency, time, programs / games); and methods of qualitative and quantitative analysis (statistical package SPSS Statistics 22).
Results. It was revealed that in the families of the majority of preschoolers (96%) digital devices (tablet / computer) are used for their development, but the intensity (time) of use was different: 20-30 minutes for almost half of the older preschoolers, and 30-60 minutes for a little fewer children; but for individual preschoolers, the time exceeded one hour. The analysis of the number of children’s interactions with digital devices (as part of the family educational environment) during the week showed that a significant part of the children were divided into two approximately equal groups (about 40% in each): the frequency of using a tablet / computer in the first group was 1-2 times a week, in the second – 3-4 times a week. There were significantly fewer preschoolers who used a tablet/computer 5-7 times a week – about a fifth. Among the computer programs / games used at home for the development of older preschoolers, those that develop logical thinking turned out to be the most in demand: three quarters of children use them. Approximately half of the children learn programs/games that develop memory, counting and reading skills. The comparison of the children’s intellectual indicators, taking into account the frequency of using a digital device, showed that preschoolers who spend at a tablet/computer 1-2 times a week have a higher level of the development of intellectual abilities than their peers who use this digital device more often.
Conclusion. The peculiarities of the use of a tablet/computer by preschoolers as a component of the family educational microenvironment may determine the variability of the indicators of children’s intellectual development. These features must be taken into account when developing recommendations for parents on the digitalization of the family microenvironment.