Playing apart together: Young people's online gaming during the COVID-19 lockdown

TT Bengtsson, LH Bom, L Fynbo - Young, 2021 - journals.sagepub.com
Young, 2021journals.sagepub.com
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 …
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.
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