The "Ms. Rachel on YouTube vs. the Dear Zoo Board Book" Dilemma: A Study of Pakistani Parents' Beliefs About Digital Play in a Neoliberal Atmosphere

• In Event: AERA Graduate Student Research-in-Progress Session 5
  In Roundtable Session: Digital Literacy and Digital Play: Content Creation, Instructional Strategies, and Learning Patterns (Table 11)

Abstract

Children's play and learning patterns have seen a shift worldwide with the advent of digital technologies. In this paper, I draw on ethnographic interviews to examine how middle and upper-middle-class Pakistani parents regard the role of digital culture and digital play in an increasingly global society. I aim to study the socio-cultural implications of these Pakistani adults' beliefs and perceptions about play and digital play in a neoliberal atmosphere. Initial findings suggest that Pakistani adults believe that any time children spend playing, even playing in a digital context, is time wasted; this time can be utilized to build other (globally valued) skills, such as reading and writing English, which are deemed essential for globalized success.

Author

• Madiha Noor, Pennsylvania State University