The ITN has significantly contributed to increased awareness in the research community of the short- and long-term consequences digital technologies may have on early language and cognitive development. Through active collaboration with technology developers as beneficiaries in the network, the ITN has created synergies between the non-academic sector and research in academia with successful two-way knowledge exchange. Research has led to bridging the gap between disciplines (psycholinguistics, psychology, developmental studies, education, robotics, social anthropology and speech technology) and the creation of innovative and dynamic networks at the European level. Main outcomes: Establishing major gaps in the evidence concerning digital ecologies and their impact on early language development in systematic/scoping reviews. The overall result of these reviews and active research conducted in the network is suggestive of a balanced reliance on digital technology in early development, supported by caregiver monitoring of child exposure to digital media. Interventions conducted during the project suggest that augmented reality and touch screens may be beneficial in word learning for typically developing children and children with autism, and that social robots do not necessarily have an advantage over hand-held/touch screen devices. The ITN equipped the next generation of researchers in the domain of digital technology and child development with an interdisciplinary set of skills in the scientific fields addressing early child development, intervention delivery and technology development, achieved by cross-network training, a varied well-designed local training offer, and active collaboration between the PIs across the network. The training has contributed to developing a new mind-set in approaching the mechanisms underlying language learning and aligning them with guiding principles for the design of technological solutions for learning (apps, social robot designs, digital media). e-LAADA included a unique novel feature which promoted ESR-led collaborative research and outputs across the network. This research was organised into three Integrated Projects targeting specific aspects of the research and impact of the network. IP1 “Gender and population-level variables in language learning and use of digital tools” collected the first cross-cultural/cross-linguistic demographic data on digital ecologies in child upbringing across European countries. Those data will provide the first detailed survey of household composition, language backgrounds, and digital media exposure for the children. Through fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, IP2 “App development and education” operationalised the latest literature on vocabulary learning and design principles of design apps for second language acquisition (L2), and developed a prototype of a vocabulary learning app. In IP3 “The pros and cons of digital technology for the human mind” the ESRs produced a comprehensive literature review of positive and negative evidence for the impact of technology on cognition and a summary document as a working guide for educators and parents. IP3 produced a science communication video for caregivers and a White paper document for policymakers and educators summarizing results from the research and guidelines on balanced use of digital technologies in education and early upbringing.
