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Digital environments reshaping children’s ecological affordance management: Hybrid ecologies, parallel strategies, and environmental shaping

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 June 2026

Qingfeng Peng  and
Hong Li Open the ORCID record for Hong Li [Opens in a new window]
Qingfeng Peng
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China pengqingfeng@m.scnu.edu.cn Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China lihong_psych@m.scnu.edu.cn Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
Hong Li*
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China pengqingfeng@m.scnu.edu.cn Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China lihong_psych@m.scnu.edu.cn Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
*
*Corresponding author.
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Abstract

This study extends Ko and Neuberg’s affordance management theory to digital environments. Key findings include: (1) hybrid digital–physical ecologies alter attention and feedback mechanisms; (2) the parallelization of stages and strategies disrupts developmental sequences; and (3) the commercial logics of algorithms conflict with children’s needs for autonomous development. These mechanisms underscore critical challenges in child development in the digital age.

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Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 49 , 2026 , e75
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press

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