Playing proves to be a complex issue; for some children, it brings them into conflict with adults.
Pakistan, gender and age unknown: I am not allowed to install the games I want to play.
Croatia, gender and age unknown: I am not allowed to play until I have studied everything for the next school day.
Other children express reservations that mirror those often expressed by adults.
Lebanon, gender and age unknown: [Video games cause] addiction, not growing up with your family, isolation, loneliness.
Canada, girl, 17: [Digital technology] causes me to withdraw and spend more time alone with my phone, whereas my mother never did that as a child.
Overall, the children's statements underscore the important role of technology in their right to leisure and play. Some suggest avoiding simplistic arguments that equate more digital play with less time outdoors.
Brazil, boy, 15: It has changed because the concept of leisure time has changed. In the past, leisure time meant playing outside, talking, being with others. Today, it can be Netflix, YouTube, and other forms of entertainment that keep you entertained.
Brazil, boy, 13: When you're sad, the internet can help you find something that makes you happy.
Children want to play online and often feel that their choice of leisure activity is not properly understood. In all parts of the world, the tension between online time and other activities—such as playing outside, doing homework, or helping with household chores—is clearly noticeable.
Brazil, girl, age unknown: I think people have stopped playing in the streets not only because of the internet, but also because the country and cities have become more violent. It would be interesting to look not only at the internet, but also at the environment in which the people who use the internet most frequently live. In rural areas, where it is safer, teenagers and children certainly use the internet less than they do here in the capital.