Sink or Swim: Virtual Life Challenges among African American Families during COVID-19 Lockdown

This study explores African American parents' experiences with using technology to engage their children in meaningful activities (e.g., e-learning) during COVID-19 and its impact on family health. Eleven African American families were recruited through a local health department program from a rural Midwestern community to participate in semi-structured interviews. Majority of participants reported stresses from feelings of sink or swim in a digital world, without supports from schools to effectively provide for their children's technology needs. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of family-school collaborative engagement and empowerment. Digital technology needs to become part of our school education system so that technology use among African Americans is elevated and families protected against future outbreaks. Further research with a more diverse African American sample is needed.

Automated summary

This study found that African American parents faced challenges using technology to engage their children in meaningful activities during COVID-19, with lack of school support impacting family health. The pandemic highlighted the importance of collaboration between family and school, with the need for digital technology integration in education systems to elevate technology use among African Americans. More research with diverse African American samples is necessary.