What impact is the COVID-19 crisis having on families and children and how they use digital media? The HBI took part in a European comparative study conducted by the European Commission’s Joint Research Center (JRC), carrying out a sub-survey in Germany.
The European Commission’s Joint Research Center conducted an international comparative study to examine the impact of the 2020 springtime onset of the global pandemic on the use of digital technologies in families. The study focused on digital practices, as well as the safety and well-being of children and adolescents between the ages of 11 and 18. The spread of the virus led all European countries to implement drastic measures, such as stay-at-home orders and quarantine regulations. During the lockdown, school, learning, leisure activities, and social interactions increasingly took place via digital media. Consequently, children and young people engaged with digital media and content significantly more than before.
Online surveys were conducted in more than ten countries in the summer of 2020. In some countries, these surveys were supplemented by guided interviews with families.
Photo: Julia M Cameron on Pexels.
