The role of digital media in family life during the U.K. lockdown 2020

As COVID-19 swept across China and Italy in the formative months of the year, we watched tentatively from the U.K. with an intense fear of what was coming. On 23 March 2020, we were told to go home, stay home and school from home. We were told at the time of the first lockdown to close all shops, leisure, entertainment, and eating venues. And in contrast to our current lockdown, the first lockdown also included all childcare, schools, colleges, and universities closing – a massive blow to the education of children of our nation. Our family of six resides in a small three-bedroom terraced house in the suburbs of Manchester, north west England. With two preteen girls, an eight-year-old son with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and a seven-month-old baby, space is tight but manageable in normal circumstances. However, with us all now confined to the house, we had to find new ways of existing together in what was now “our new normal”, allowing the children to socialize, learn, and deal with their emotions during this challenging time.