Education, Entertainment, or Risk? An Investigation on the Appropriateness of Mobile Games for Children

Muhammed Fatih Küçükkara; Muhammed Ünal; Türker Sezer

EN

Education, Entertainment, or Risk? An Investigation on the Appropriateness of Mobile Games for Children

Abstract

This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of the suitability of popular games available in major mobile application stores, namely Google Play and the Apple App Store, specifically for early childhood users. The research critically examines four key dimensions: advertising and commercial elements, educational quality, data security, and design and usability. Following a descriptive survey model, a sample of 48 of the most frequently downloaded mobile games was systematically selected for analysis. A key inclusion criterion was a high user rating of 4.0 points or above. The findings, based on calculated mean scores for each factor, reveal critical shortcomings. Advertising and commercial elements (M=2.88) and data security (M=3.17) emerged as the most problematic areas, indicating significant risks for young players. While educational quality (M=3.21) and design and usability (M=3.50) scored higher, they still fell short of ideal standards. The study concludes that substantial improvements are urgently needed, particularly in advertising and safety protocols, to ensure these digital products are genuinely appropriate for young children.

Keywords

Early childhood, Mobile games, In-game advertising and monetization, Children’s data privacy and security, Educational quality, Design and usability

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Other Fields of Education (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Muhammed Fatih Küçükkara
0000-0001-5993-0622
Türkiye

Muhammed Ünal
0000-0003-0907-6629
Türkiye

Türker Sezer ^*
0000-0003-0898-4887
Türkiye

Early Pub Date

May 11, 2026

Publication Date

-

Submission Date

January 19, 2026

Acceptance Date

April 27, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Number: Advanced Online Publication

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA73KW96TM

APA

Küçükkara, M. F., Ünal, M., & Sezer, T. (2026). Education, Entertainment, or Risk? An Investigation on the Appropriateness of Mobile Games for Children. Sakarya Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, Advanced Online Publication, 75-90. https://izlik.org/JA73KW96TM

AMA

1.Küçükkara MF, Ünal M, Sezer T. Education, Entertainment, or Risk? An Investigation on the Appropriateness of Mobile Games for Children. SUJEF. 2026;(Advanced Online Publication):75-90. https://izlik.org/JA73KW96TM

Chicago

Küçükkara, Muhammed Fatih, Muhammed Ünal, and Türker Sezer. 2026. “Education, Entertainment, or Risk? An Investigation on the Appropriateness of Mobile Games for Children”. Sakarya Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, no. Advanced Online Publication: 75-90. https://izlik.org/JA73KW96TM.

EndNote

Küçükkara MF, Ünal M, Sezer T (May 1, 2026) Education, Entertainment, or Risk? An Investigation on the Appropriateness of Mobile Games for Children. Sakarya Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi Advanced Online Publication 75–90.

IEEE

[1]M. F. Küçükkara, M. Ünal, and T. Sezer, “Education, Entertainment, or Risk? An Investigation on the Appropriateness of Mobile Games for Children”, SUJEF, no. Advanced Online Publication, pp. 75–90, May 2026, [Online]. Available: https://izlik.org/JA73KW96TM

ISNAD

Küçükkara, Muhammed Fatih - Ünal, Muhammed - Sezer, Türker. “Education, Entertainment, or Risk? An Investigation on the Appropriateness of Mobile Games for Children”. Sakarya Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi. Advanced Online Publication (May 1, 2026): 75-90. https://izlik.org/JA73KW96TM.

JAMA

1.Küçükkara MF, Ünal M, Sezer T. Education, Entertainment, or Risk? An Investigation on the Appropriateness of Mobile Games for Children. SUJEF. 2026;:75–90.

MLA

Küçükkara, Muhammed Fatih, et al. “Education, Entertainment, or Risk? An Investigation on the Appropriateness of Mobile Games for Children”. Sakarya Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, no. Advanced Online Publication, May 2026, pp. 75-90, https://izlik.org/JA73KW96TM.

Vancouver

1.Muhammed Fatih Küçükkara, Muhammed Ünal, Türker Sezer. Education, Entertainment, or Risk? An Investigation on the Appropriateness of Mobile Games for Children. SUJEF [Internet]. 2026 May 1;(Advanced Online Publication):75-90. Available from: https://izlik.org/JA73KW96TM

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Abstract