Family Negotiation in Joint Media Engagement with Creative Computing

HCI researchers have been investigating family dynamics with new and emerging technologies during joint media engagement (JME) experiences. However, most studies describe family dynamics from parents’ perspectives, such as their roles and mediation practices, while the roles and agency of other family members are less understood. In this paper, we examine family dynamics through the lens of negotiation between family members. Our study is located within an informal learning program called Family Creative Learning, where families from non-dominant groups were invited to participate in a series of workshops to create with a programming app called ScratchJr. Through analysis of data that included process, artifact, and reflective data, we identify negotiation practices of family members as they advocate for device and creative control. We further discuss how the lens of negotiation expands the meaning of productive JME in family contexts and highlight design considerations to facilitate engaging joint family experiences with educational technologies.