"My brother teaches me everything": Sibling mediation of young Israeli children's media use

This study sheds light on sibling mediation of young children's media use, focusing on older brothers and sisters as significant mediators in imparting preferences, skills, and norms of media use in early childhood. The sample included 20 families with two or three children, one of whom was four to seven years of age and had at least one older sibling. In each family, in-depth interviews were conducted with the mothers, younger children, and with the older siblings. The findings indicated that older siblings served as playmates, digital mentors, parental proxies, and shields. These roles were crucial in their younger siblings' media experiences, and much more significant than were the mediating roles of the parents, especially regarding the use of digital media. Prior State of KnowledgePrevious research has predominantly focused on parental mediation of children's media use. Siblings' role as mediators has been largely neglected, despite their centrality in learning processes in early childhood, and shaping children's habits and preferences, particularly regarding digital media use.Novel ContributionsThis study identifies four major roles fulfilled by older siblings while mediating their younger siblings' media uses: Playmates, mentors, parental proxies, and emotional shields. The findings emphasize the unique impact of older siblings in shaping young children's media experiences.Practical ImplicationsAcknowledging the older siblings' various roles as key media mediators could enhance younger children's digital literacy, emotional resilience, and create positive sibling dynamics. These insights might be especially helpful for parents and practitioners working with children and families.