2020 Volume 70 Issue 12 Pages 54-86
In April and May 2020, Japanese schools and pre-schools were temporarily closed due to the spread of COVID–19, and children and their parents were forced to stay at home. The authors investigated their media use and behavior, along with their attitudes and values, from June through July, after the reopening of schools/pre–schools. The paper also reports how digital learning materials, which was gradually spreading among schools and households, were perceived. With regards to the changes in media activities “after the reopening,” those who spent “more time” on watching television than “before the closure” outnumbered those who spent “less time,” but when compared to “during the closure,” the figures for “more time” and “less time” were almost the same. Meanwhile, more people spent “more time” on “smart phones” than both “before” and “during” the closure. In terms of changes in their daily lives, they were continuously “suffering multiple and diverse types of stress.” These findings suggest that the general framework that “there are needs for meaningfulness” remained the same, but some differences were found in specific activities when compared to “during the closure.” As to digital learning materials, although the use of these materials has been expanded, it was caused by the instructions of schools or authorities and does not necessarily mean the number of those interested in these materials has increased. In the meantime, diverse needs have emerged as a result of the actual use of digital learning materials. As a notable trend, these needs are overlapped with the needs for “on–demand” and “meaningful time” that were observed in the change in children's media contact.
