Chapter 7: Is Social Networking The New “Online Playground” for Young Children?: A Study of Rate Profiles in Estonia

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) recognizes every child’s right “to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.” Playing in childhood is not only a human right but also a precursor for developing a strong identity, healthy relations, and adequate self esteem. Some researchers have noticed significant changes in the structure and content of children’s play (Jenkinson, 2001), while others have noticed that the environment in which children play is changing as well (Sutton, 2008). Compared to children in the early 1980s, present day children are spending much less time outside or engaged in organized sports, and studies have noted a progressive increase in time spent in front of the computer (Swanbrow, 2004).