Young People's Play, Wellbeing and Learning : Psycho-Social and Virtual Geographies in Digital Play

This book explores the shifting geographies and contexts of children's play and learning. The author examines both free and guided play through the lenses of class, gender and disability, drawing links between face-to-face and online interactions. As young people increasingly spend time in virtual environments it is important to adjust understandings of how, and when, they engage with learning. The book examines play as a continuum of activities and peer interactions, interrogating what it takes to bridge the gap between academic and wellbeing goals for children with disabilities and disadvantage, as well as those at the intersection with other markers of difference (e.g. gender and race). It will be of interest and value to scholars of play and education, as well as those working with disabled or disadvantaged children. Dimitra Hartas is Associate Professor at the Centre for Education Studies at the University of Warwick, UK. Her research interests include children's wellbeing, parenting, social class and social justice, drawing on critical theories of class Preface What Is Virtual and What Is Real in Children’s Play? About this Book Data Sources Used for This Book Chapter Summaries Virtual Encounters in the Time of the Coronavirus Pandemic References Acknowledgements Contents List of Tables Chapter 1: Teenage Play and Peer Interactions: Virtual, Social and Emotional Geographies Shifting Geographies and a Sense of Place Physical and Virtual Geographies and Play National Trends in Teenage Offline and Online Play Teenage Online and Offline Play and Wellbeing Digital Play and Wellbeing in Teenage Boys and Girls Face-to-Face Peer Interactions and Wellbeing What Makes Teenagers Happier: Online or Offline Play? References Chapter 2: Free and Guided Play and Unequal Childhoods Social Class and Online and Offline Play Digital Play, Family Income and Parent Education and Occupational Status Face-to-face Peer Interactions, Extra-Curricular Activities and Family Income, Parent Education and Occupational Status Unequal Play and Peer Interactions Gender and Online and Offline Play Girls Online Ethnicity and Online and Offline Play Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties in Teenagers and Play Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, Prosocial Behaviour and Digital Play Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, Play and Bullying Teenage Play and Difference References Chapter 3: Play and Learning Behaviours, Attitudes and Aspirations Digital Play, Academic Motivation, Self-Esteem and Aspirations in Teenage Boys and Girls Face-to-face Play, Learning Attitudes and Aspirations in Teenage Boys and Girls Extra-Curricular Activities, Learning Attitudes and Aspirations in Teenage Boys and Girls References Chapter 4: Teenage Free and Guided Play in the Era of Intensive Parenting Digital Play and Parent-Young Person Interaction, Communication and Emotional Closeness Face-to-face Play and Parent-Young Person Interaction, Communication and Emotional Closeness Extra-curricular Activities and Parent-Young Person Interaction, Communication and Emotional Closeness Parenting Cultures and Teenage Play References Chapter 5: Conclusion: Teenagers in the Era of the ‘Super-Connected’ Selves Space and the ‘Super-Connected’ Selves A Sense of Virtual Place Are Virtual Places Unequal? Final Thoughts References References Index