ABSTRACT
Australia’s capital city greeted 2020 already in a state of crisis. The New South Wales South Coast, 150 or so kilometres away and a holiday haven for many Canberrans was burning. The life-changing events of Australia's 2020 Black Summer bushfires and the global COVID-19 pandemic brought digital media use within families into sharp focus. Further, for those of authors lucky enough to keep their jobs, digital media platforms and devices meant that they could continue to work from home. The heightened role and increased presence of digital media during these times of crisis raises questions about how media might be reconfiguring family relations and dynamics and (re)shaping the daily rhythms of domestic life. Less than three months later, the global COVID-19 pandemic brought about a different kind of reliance on digital media, as they used devices, apps and social media not just for staying informed which helped keep them safe, but also for staying connected and productive.
