Children and Media Worldwide in a Time of a Pandemic

This edited volume explores the lived experiences of children during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020, focusing on their knowledge, emotional responses, daily life adjustments, and the strengths they developed in coping with unprecedented circumstances. Central to the inquiry is the role of media in meeting children’s informational, emotional, and social needs, and how children adapted to, used, and controlled media in their everyday lives. Drawing on survey responses from 4,200 children aged 9–13 across 42 countries, supplemented by localized studies, the book offers a comparative perspective across geography, culture, gender, age, class, health, and refugee status. With contributions from 40 international authors, the volume examines both the benefits and potential drawbacks of media in children’s lives during crises, concluding with lessons for supporting children in future emergencies.

Key Features:

• Based on an international survey of 4,200 children in 42 countries and additional localized studies.
• Examines children’s emotional, social, and informational experiences during COVID-19.
• Highlights the role of media in supporting and challenging children’s wellbeing.
• Provides comparative insights across cultural, geographic, gender, age, socioeconomic, health, and refugee dimensions.
• Features contributions from 40 authors worldwide, offering diverse scholarly perspectives.
• Concludes with practical lessons for educators, parents, media professionals, and policymakers on supporting children in crises.