Gaming behavior changes in families: Mothers and children during the COVID ‐19 pandemic
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: ABSTRACT Objective We examined changes in gaming behavior among families with young children during the COVID‐19 pandemic and their association with pre‐pandemic media use types and family climate. Background The pandemic reshaped families' mediatized daily lives. Drawing on the concept of “doing family in the digital age,” we study co‐gaming as a potential means of family bonding and individual gaming as necessary personal time during the pandemic. Method We employed unique German longitudinal survey data based on probability‐sampled households with 0‐ to 33‐year‐olds. Our sample comprises 930 mothers with 1,499 children aged 0 to 11. Results We found a slight decrease in mothers' gaming between 2019 and 2021. Children's gaming use rates increased by 22 percentage points, while daily gaming durations rose by 23 minutes (i.e., 39 minutes/day among users). Changes differed depending on pre‐pandemic profiles of family media use, suggesting a “catching‐up” effect of families with relatively lower rates of pre‐pandemic usage. Conclusion We find no mitigating effect of co‐gaming on deteriorating family climate. Rather, individual and co‐gaming may regulate closeness and distance in families and beyond. Implications Our findings, capturing differences in children's age and gender as well as in families' patterns of pre‐pandemic media use, are relevant for media educators and professionals working with families with moderate and excessive media usage.
Source: Family Relations
DOI: 10.1111/fare.70223
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,590
OpenAlex ID: W7162401002