Susan Danby

This article reflects on the process, challenges and outcomes of a pilot project that explored the use of a participatory, game-based approach to developing children's critical capabilities with respect to AI literacy. The pilot focussed on AI sycophancy: the tendency of large language models (LLMs) to flatter and agree with users, prioritising likeability and ongoing engagement over accuracy. Our multi-disciplinary team combined expertise in communication and media studies, technology regulation, machine learning, and early childhood education, and actively involved children at various points in the process. We designed a bespoke ‘explainer’ animation and an interactive ‘game’ based on custom-built voice chatbots, which we delivered in a workshop at an Australian school with children aged 6 to 10. The article discusses the process of developing and delivering the pilot, navigating disciplinary boundaries, children's responses to the experience, and the trade-offs involved in a participatory approach to AI ethics for children.

This article reflects on the process, challenges and outcomes of a pilot project that explored the use of a participatory, game-based approach to developing children's critical capabilities with respect to AI literacy. The pilot focused on AI sycophancy: the tendency of Large Language Models (LLMs) to flatter and agree with users, prioritising likability and ongoing engagement over accuracy. Our multidisciplinary team combined expertise in communication and media studies, technology regulation, machine learning, and early childhood education, and actively involved children at various points in the process. We designed a bespoke 'explainer' animation and an interactive 'game' based on custom-built voice chatbots, which we delivered in a workshop with children aged 6-10. The article discusses the process of developing and delivering the pilot, navigating disciplinary boundaries, children's responses to the experience, and the trade-offs involved in a participatory approach to AI ethics for children.

Aim: This study aimed to identify diverse ways nonspeaking and speaking children are involved in clinical encounters. Methods: The study analysed video recordings of paediatric palliative care encounters in Australia. Conversation analytic coding methods were used to identify embodied (e.g., gesture) and vocal (e.g., grunting) modes of interaction used by all children and lexical verbalisations (i.e., words) used by speaking children. Analysis focused on interactions between children and adults (both family members and clinicians). Results: A total of 38 child patients (seven speaking, 31 nonspeaking), 56 family members and 50 clinicians participated across 60 video‐recorded encounters with the child patient present. Analysis identified 1737 spates (i.e., periods) of interaction with child patients. Nonspeaking children were involved in a median of 38.0 spates of involvement per hour and speaking children in a median of 58.7 spates per hour. Observed practices of nonspeaking and speaking children included adult clinicians and family members doing something with a child without speaking, identifying the child as a recipient of some action, assessing the child, telling the child something, and physically tending to the child with verbal commentary. Clinicians and adult family members more often initiated spates of involvement (62.9%) than children themselves and were more responsive to spates initiated by nonspeaking children (89.6%) than speaking children (79.3%). Conclusions: This study demonstrates how children—including nonspeaking children—are regularly involved in clinical encounters. The study findings indicate a need to avoid exclusively focusing on verbal communication, to appreciate the diverse ways that children can be involved in clinical encounters about them.

There is a prevalent belief that ‘good’ mothers should avoid using smartphones around their infants, as it is thought to harm infant development and the mother-infant relationship. Despite this belief, many mothers find smartphones beneficial for accessing online support and information during the postpartum period. The social role of ‘mother’ comes with a suite of cultural, social, and moral expectations on how to behave and care for children. With the recent uptake of seeking parenting information or advice via smartphones and mobile applications (apps), a new social and educational discourse is emerging. Mothers are using digital technologies in various ways to support their mothering practices. However, there is limited understanding of the nuances of how, what, why, or when mothers use mobile apps or web-searching. Using one fragment of ethnomethodological interview data and adopting a ‘culture-in-action’ lens, we explore how a first-time mother constructs moral versions of ‘mother’ through her use of a baby app to support her mothering practices. Our analysis reveals the mother’s cultural knowledge-in-use, showing smartphones as valuable resources for improving and supporting mothering practices. This study underscores the importance of understanding how mothers integrate smartphone technologies into their mothering practices in practical and beneficial ways.

This study investigated how young autistic children engaged with digital technologies within the home context. Studying the everyday lives of three families in Queensland, Australia provided opportunities to identify the digital technologies they used and the purpose and potential of the children's digital interactions. Autistic children actively participated in this digital ethnographic study as they navigated their digital worlds. Children's experiences with digital activities were undertaken independently and with family members and informed how digital technologies support their socialisation, communication, and education. Furthermore, findings highlight the importance of parents and researchers adapting the ways that they engage with children to support children's success.