Abstract
Research examining media use and parental media strategies involving youth with disabilities is severely lacking within the literature. Despite growing focus on children’s increased media use during the COVID-19 pandemic, limited research addresses the digital divide families face in supporting the needs of children with disabilities, including access to instructional technology and the breadth with which youth with a variety of disabilities use media for instructional and recreational purposes. In an effort to provide a more comprehensive understanding of these needs, authors conducted an online survey of 390 U.S. parents of school-aged youth with disabilities and age- and gender-matched, non-disabled peers (mean age of 10.6 years; boys, 61%; girls 39%) drawn from a nationally representative sample. Results indicate that, compared to peers, youth with disabilities used significantly higher amounts of instructional and recreational media during the COVID-19 lockdown and the use of media-based activities varied significantly by the type of educational support services students received (i.e., speech therapy, counseling, etc.). Controlling for income, youth with disabilities experienced significantly less access to school- and family-provided technology than peers, but not internet access. Findings shed light on the media behaviors of youth with disabilities during the pandemic, particularly for those who are homebound and continue to receive virtual educational support services, equipping families with the information to make more informed media parenting decisions.
Highlights
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Youth with different disabilities use instructional and recreational media activities in significantly different ways.
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Youth with disabilities use higher levels of media, including more independent and complex activities, as they age.
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Parents reported higher recreational but not instructional media use among youth needing more educational support services.
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During the pandemic, 44% of parents reported less effective educational support services addressing their children’s needs.
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Parents of youth with disabilities reported purchasing significantly less educational technology than those without disabilities.
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The authors would like to thank Dr. Mary Norman for input in designing the questionnaire.
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Sauermilch, W.S., Cardenas, J.F., Densley, R.L. et al. Logging on: Instructional and Recreational Media Use Among U.S. Youth with Disabilities During the COVID-19 Lockdown. J Child Fam Stud 34, 958–973 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-025-03056-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-025-03056-5