How children used video chat during the COVID-19 pandemic: results from a new survey

• In Event: Poster Session 11
  In Poster Session: PS 11 Topic - Technology, Media & Child Development

Abstract

With the outbreak of the recent coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the sheltering-in-place orders in the spring, society was thrust into an unprecedented situation in which education and entertainment were moved almost entirely online. Children were exposed to electronic devices more than before (e.g., ParentsTogether, 2020), raising parents’ concerns about the effects on children’s physical, mental, and socio-emotional development. While surveys have investigated the increase in screen time during the pandemic (e.g., ParentsTogether, 2020; Moore et al., 2020; Shevenock, 2020), none have focused explicitly on children’s video chat use during the pandemic. Therefore, we created a survey to explore how media use and especially, video chat interactions, changed since the outbreak of COVID-19, along with parents’ beliefs and concerns about children’s use of video chat. We also explored if children’s use of video chat and media differed based on their age.

One hundred and twenty-two parents of 3- to 8-year-old children completed the Media and Video Chat Use. The survey was administered on Qualtrics and took approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. Data collection took place from May to June 2020, during which stay-at-home orders had been in place for several weeks and many children were receiving online instruction. The survey questions fell into five main categories: demographics, media use, video chat beliefs and changes due to the pandemic, video chat with friends and family, and video chat with teachers.

According to parents, children used electronic devices significantly longer during the pandemic than before the pandemic (p < .001) and older children used devices longer than younger children during the pandemic (p < .001), Figure 1. Children used video chat to talk to friends, family, and teachers and engaged in a variety of activities, including show and tell, singing, reading books, and playing games. The majority of parents reported that video chat was the main way to stay in contact with family, that their child video chatted more than before the pandemic, and that their child video chatted with more people than before the pandemic (Figure 2). Parents also expressed concern for children’s development and wellbeing. While video chat has enabled families to feel connected to others, parents reported that video chat often served as a reminder to children that they could not interact with others in person, which made them upset.

Given the unprecedented nature of the pandemic and the ubiquity of technology and electronic devices, learning more about how young children used media and video chat during that time was critical. With social distancing still in effect, children will continue to rely on video chat as a safe way to stay in contact with friends and family. It is critical to further examine not only how the pandemic is affecting children’s development and wellbeing, but also how to help parents support their children. Results from this survey provide useful information for parents, educators, and researchers and highlight modifications that might be made to online schooling to improve it.

Authors

• Daniela Avelar, University of Delaware
  Presenting Author

• Dani Levine, Temple University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Maria Kaliakin, University of Delaware
  Non-Presenting Author

• Sydney Flambaum, University of Delaware
  Non-Presenting Author

• Kathy A Hirsh-Pasek, Temple University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Roberta M Golinkoff, University of Delaware
  Non-Presenting Author