Playing Apart Together: Young People’s Online Gaming During the COVID-19 Lockdown

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelForskningfagfællebedømt

The COVID-19 pandemic caused countries around the world to initiate societal lockdowns, especially during the spring of 2020. This article focuses on online gaming’s role in young people’s lives during the lockdown in Denmark. Informed by a practice theoretical framework, the analyses of 35 interviews with young people (16–19 years) examine how gaming proved to be something to do in a situation of nothing to do. The analyses find that the young people’s gaming practices were beneficial (a) in allowing the young people to maintain a social life and (b) in providing a legitimate social space for maintaining friendships and/or coping with boredom. The findings demonstrate that young people who engage with online gaming are capable of adapting to fundamental changes to society to fulfil their social needs and aspirations, including during a pandemic.

OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftYoung
Vol/bind29
Udgave nummer4_suppl
Sider (fra-til)S65-S80
ISSN1103-3088
DOI
StatusUdgivet - sep. 2021
Eksternt udgivetJa

Bibliografisk note

Funding Information:
The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article: The article is based on a research project about children and young people’s online gaming and use of gambling-related elements within the games (such as loot boxes and card packs). The research project is funded by the Danish Gambling Authority, which is a government agency based at the Danish Ministry of Taxation.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 SAGE Publications and Young Editorial Board.

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