• Knowledge Management Research
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.173-199
• /
• 2021

As the use of smart devices such as smartphones and tablets has become common, the time to start using smart devices is getting earlier, such as using smart devices from the age of one. Also, the use of smart devices by infants and toddlers is continuously increasing. Smart devices have become convenient means of acquiring pleasure and knowledge, but the side effects of addiction and overdependence are becoming issues as much as the benefits of smart devices. This study pays attention to young children's overdependence on smart devices, and focuses on the aspects of parents' perception, control, and observational behavior about smart devices, which can have a profound effect on young children. This study examines how young children's overdependence on smart devices can consequently affect children's characteristics in terms of activity, emotional sensitivity, and social aspects. In particular, this study attempts to explore that the factors influencing children's overdependence on smart devices and the results can vary depending on the moderating variables (parents' control method for children's smart device use, supervision method, and type of contents mainly used). Based on the findings, this study can provide guidelines and implications for parents on how to effectively use smart devices for their young children.