Play Occupations in Digital Spaces: Children’s Experiences Throughout Childhood

Abstract in English

Play is enshrined as a right for all children and is characterised by its autotelic and intrinsic nature. As such, play is recognised as the primary occupation of children and best understood in terms of the multiple meanings it holds for individuals. The spaces in which children choose to play are considered to facilitate and limit opportunities and experiences for play reflecting a dynamic and complex interconnection between individuals, spaces, and occupations. Despite the exponential growth of gaming technologies and digital devices offering children spaces for a plethora of novel, captivating and diverse play experiences, there remains a limited understanding of how these spaces afford or constrain play, especially from the perspective of the main protagonist, the child. Exploring children’s perspectives of their play in such digital spaces can uncover the multifaceted dimensions highlighting the purposeful and meaningful nature of such occupations in children’s everyday life. Such understanding challenge current social discourses and support how such play experiences contribute to children’s wellbeing and active participation in society.

The overall aim of this thesis was to generate a deeper understanding of children’s perceptions of their play occupations in digital spaces throughout the trajectory of childhood. This thesis was informed by four, qualitative research studies.

Study I, a scoping review, aimed to identify and map the current literature examining children’s perspectives of play in digital spaces by exploring how the daily relevance, personal and ecological significance, and methods were approached in the research. The review identified thirty-one articles from the past fifteen years with data extracted inspired by theories of play, ecology, and occupation. The review highlighted a significant lack of empirical research focusing specifically on children’s autotelic play and which demonstrated a relevance to their everyday life. Additionally, we found that methods did not consistently involve the active participation of children. The findings from this review provided a clear rationale for the design of the subsequent three studies.

Choice making reflects a key aspect of how children experience their play, therefore, study II explored children’s experiences of their choice making in play within digital spaces. Eight participants were recruited who were aged between 6 and 7 years old. Using a focus group design and a plethora of data generation tools, the findings indicate that children enjoyed the flexibility and variety of choices offered by their play in digital spaces yet were constrained in their possibilities for play. Further, findings highlight how children negotiate play experiences as a tension between choice making and their desire for mastery.

Study III explored the play value of digital spaces, specifically how the digital space affords play from the perspective of the child. The study was conducted using focus groups and comic strips to elicit data from eight children aged 11 years old. Findings indicate that children value the endless opportunities for play that were not necessarily available to them in real world spaces. Children discussed the play value associated with continually exploring new tasks, roles, and arenas, a space to be and do together, and to develop and learn.

Study IV explored and identified how the meaning of playing video games is situated in adolescents’ everyday life. The study utilised narrative methodologies to generate data from five participants aged 16 – 17 years. The findings reflect how they engage in processes negotiating and balancing between occupations in both the physical and digital space with play integrated across their everyday lives.

These studies reveal the richness and depth of perspectives children hold with regard their play in digital spaces and uncovers a unique and diverse number of characteristics that contributes to our understanding of the meaning children hold of this key occupation of childhood. This thesis articulates how children consider the primacy of play in their everyday lives in their negotiations between play in physical and digital spaces and how the, often overlooked, social dimensions of such play experiences throughout the course of childhood serves to enhance their connections with others and promote a sense of belonging. Additionally, the perception of competence in their play fostered their sense of self whilst embodying other roles and identities reflect a progression towards a future self.

This enhanced understanding of the play occupations in digital spaces can be used to promote, offer, and design play occupations that reflect the experiences of children themselves thus recognising how and where play in digital spaces is integrated in relation to everyday life. To further explore play occupations in digital spaces, it may be fruitful for future research to be designed with children in mind to further enhance understanding.