Digital Playgrounds

The importance of play, and indeed, children's right to play, has been long recognised. Yet in practice, play is increasingly curtailed, controlled and contested, especially online. In her meticulously researched book, Grimes dissects how we reached such a problematic situation and, importantly, how we might move forward so as to enable children's playful possibilities in a digital world. - Sonia Livingstone, Professor of Social Psychology, London School of Economics and Political Science With Digital Playgrounds, Sara Grimes deftly cuts through the often simplistic and sanctimonious rhetoric surrounding children's digital play-worlds to offer a compelling framework with which to understand the interwoven threads of technology, politics and culture that comprise children's connected play. The result is well-composed, invaluable resource for anyone seeking to grasp the complex intermingling of gaming industry interests, and technological affordances with children's virtual play practices, rights and creativity. - Daniel Thomas Cook, Professor of Childhood Studies, Rutgers University Grimes takes a deep and important dive into the politics embedded in online playgrounds. This outstanding book is a must-read for privacy scholars, child-rights activists, and anyone interested in understanding how tech companies shape children's lives. - Valerie Steeves, Professor of Criminology, University of Ottawa