Children’s digital play as collective family resilience in the face of the pandemic

Abstract

In this article we explore how digital play as conducted through various social media and online meeting platforms facilitated resiliency and confidence building in children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using day-in-the-life methodology and narrative inquiry, we disseminate and examine observations collected on children aged 2-10 during lockdown in a Newfoundland neighbourhood. Children utilized platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Zoom to embrace their agentic digital play in ways that repurposed the platforms to fulfil life milestones and social needs otherwise impacted and disrupted by pandemic restrictions. Through a series of vignettes and interviews, our research not only examines how such digital play benefits children and their healthy development, but how parents reacted to and assisted with their children’s agentic digital platform manipulation and how this provided positive benefits and enriching experiences to the entire family. We additionally explore the conflicts and tensions both children and parents encountered in securely implementing free play via digital platforms, including fears of excess screen-time, digital dependency, and online threats, all of which risk limiting children’s ability to independently explore their creativity and identities through digital play if not handled sensitively. Despite the hurdles to implementing digital play, this study exposes why it is essential for families to navigate this online terrain; this study ultimately poses that digital play and online platforms not only were beneficial to maintaining and building family resilience during the pandemic but will be vital assets in sustaining resiliency and positive mindsets moving forward with pandemic recovery.

Children’s Voices on the COVID-19 Pandemic as Presented in Swedish Junior and Daily Newspapers

“…The results indicate that the published newspaper articles testify how pandemic management strategies disrupted children's everyday lives in multiple ways, including the disruption of schooling and social activities and involuntary isolation from friends and family. While these disruptions were not necessarily detrimental for all children, as it appears from the included newspaper articles and as also shown in research (e.g., Arnott & Teichert, 2023;Burke et al, 2023;Pahl et al, 2023), other children were seemingly distressed and negatively affected by the situation, especially when already faced with vulnerabilities due to poverty, additional health threats, and/or crowded homes. Previous studies also highlight the enhanced exposure of and negative consequences for deprived populations in facing the pandemic, pointing to and amplifying social disparity (Bajos et al, 2021;Sanrey et al, 2021).…”

The Model for Maintaining Families with Noble Character During the Pandemic in Kampung KB Villages

“…Every family must be able to improve communication and 16} JIP-The Indonesian Journal of the Social Sciences which will ultimately build family resilience (Bates et al, 2021;Burke et al, 2023;Daks et al, 2020;Prime et al, 2020;Yuda & Munir, 2023). Doing Teenagers can implement the value of cooperation through the awareness that they cannot live alone and need the help of other people.…”

Building resilience beyond the COVID-19 pandemic: can it work through creative play with digital puzzles?

“…At the global level, several leading studies in creativity and developmental science have produced designs for play models based on digital technology to foster young children's curiosity, confidence, and resilience in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic (Ernst and Burcak, 2019;Teichert et al, 2021;Burke et al, 2023). At the height of the pandemic, digital technology strengthened the skills young children need through play (Tonkin, 2019;Kauffmann et al, 2020;Lourenço et al, 2021).…”