Playing Apart Together: Young People’s Online Gaming During the COVID-19 Lockdown

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

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.

Original languageEnglish
JournalYoung
Volume29
Issue number4_suppl
Pages (from-to)S65-S80
ISSN1103-3088
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sep 2021
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 SAGE Publications and Young Editorial Board.

    Research areas

  • COVID-19, gaming, lockdown, practice theory, sociability, temporality

ID: 321825793