Abstract

From the vary instance of birth, today’s children in 1st world communities are exposed to digital technology and devices. This exposure may range from very passive levels of engagement in early years to more active ones as a child becomes increasingly integrated into society. Aside from the utility oriented needs that these technologies serve to address, they have also come to represent symbols in a ritualistic rite of passage towards adulthood; where an artifact(s) not only provides a method for connecting to information and people in society but also denote the actual status of that connection. As a means of better understanding the factors that both enable and inhibit integration, an ethnographic investigation was undertaken to examine various social and cultural issues surrounding the “timely” integration of digital technology. The resulting paper and insights are based on the culmination of personal interviews and observations focused on the various stakeholders in the childhood development process.