Digital devices are becoming an increasingly pervasive part of children’s lives, being used more frequently and at ever younger ages. Children’s digital habits are closely linked to those of their parents, with the habits of both being associated with a range of developmental outcomes in childhood. Especially problematic is technoference, i.e., interruptions in social interactions caused by device use. To encourage appropriate use and minimise negative outcomes, professional guidelines have been established. Our study aimed to explore the habits of digital device use among Slovenian pre-school children and their parents. Additionally, we wanted to examine parental knowledge of digital device use guidelines, and the relationships between children’s habits, parents’ habits, and parental knowledge of guidelines. The study included 528 parents of pre-school children aged five and younger. We collected the data on children’s habits, parents’ habits, and parental knowledge of guidelines using a parent-completed questionnaire. The findings indicated that nearly all children encounter digital devices during their pre-school years, with most children under the age of two exceeding the recommended daily screen time. The majority of children use devices between half an hour and one hour per day. Both the extent of children’s use and their independence in use and content selection increase with age. On average, parents reported using digital devices in their free time between half an hour and one and a half hours per day, out of which up to half an hour was in the presence of their child. Children of parents with higher screen time tend to have higher screen time themselves. Most parents reported making a conscious effort to reduce device use during shared time. Parents are relatively well-informed about the guidelines and at least partially apply them in practice, with better knowledge being associated with more appropriate practices.
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