My kids play virtually with their friends, frequently working on Minecraft worlds together. iPads allow Minecraft and FaceTime to run concurrently, allowing them to video chat with each other while playing Minecraft. On the upside, this allows them time to socialize with their cousins who live in other states, and see in person infrequently. When they do this with their friends who live no more than 5 minutes away I fear they are missing out on in person play.
The more I think about this though, I’m not sure I can blame this on the pandemic or the rise of personal screens. Thirty years ago I would play games online with my friends for hours, and the games were far less chill and educational compared to Minecraft. (See: Quake, and later Counterstrike)
I figure I should be thankful my kids are so comfortable with technology and can use it in a healthy way to socialize with their friends.