Screen time is cool but friends and family are more important: children's daily life during lockdown in Austria

Abstract

This paper discusses the use of digital and online media in Austrian families during the Covid-19 lockdown in spring 2020. As part of a wider European research network, two studies were conducted in Austria: a representative quantitative survey (N=510) and a qualitative study (10 families with children between 6 and 12 years). We provide an overview of how digital media were used by children between ten and 18 years, but focus more on the situation of families with children between six and twelve years. We give an insight into how daily life was affected by the lockdown, and how children engaged with digital technologies during this specific time. Further, we discuss whether digital media were used to cope with specific challenges; and if a more frequent use of digital media led to more or better digital skills.