As part of the BUNKEN FORUM 2021 organized by the NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, our research team held an online session on March 3rd 2021 to discuss the potential of media use in studying at home, focusing on high school and junior high school students' home learning and considering the changes in situations between before and during the coronavirus pandemic. Imamura Kumi (President and CEO of NPO KATARIBA and Committee Member of Central Council for Education of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) took part in the session as the guest panelist. KATARIBA offers a place for children to learn and “to belong” to support their leaning. Sakai Atsushi, Ph.D. (Associate Professor, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University), along with a researcher from the Institute, reported the findings from the surveys conducted before and during the pandemic. Three parents who had cooperated in the surveys also joined the discussion. First, the following findings from the surveys held in 2019 and 2020 aimed at high school and junior high school students as well as their parents were reported. – The most used digital devices for home studying were smartphones, personal computers, tablet computers, and electronic dictionaries. – There was a notable increase in the use of smartphones, and learners using digital devices and content increased as a whole. – During the temporary closure of schools due to the pandemic, about 30% of the surveyed students received online classes. – Learners using digital devices have high interest in trying new things, and their mothers be positive about this type of learning style. – The continuing use of digital media for home studying leads to positive attitudes towards learning. Based on the survey results and the actual home studying experiences shared by the participating parents, the panel discussed the potential of achieving personalized and self-regulated learning　catered for each child by using digital media, the capability of and expectations for online classes which would provide something that would not be available at face-to-face classes, the capability of connecting rural and urban areas, or Japan and the world, to provide learning beyond the limit of physical distance, and the effect of continuous home studying using digital media that may raise children's motivation. A challenge pertaining to home studying was also discussed. Following the report that many of the students using digital devices for home study ended up playing on the digital devices during home study time, the panel pointed out that it would be necessary for students to learn how to deal with digital media and that one effective way would be making rules on the usage through child-parent discussion and based on children's understanding and agreement, which would provide a good opportunity both for children and parents to think about the digital media literacy.