Technology and the digital childhood

A key distinguishing factor for children today is that they are growing up in an era immersed in, and defined by digital technology. Internet-enabled smartphones, tablets and laptops influence all aspects of our modern life including how we work, play, think, learn, create, relate, and even fall in love. From the moment hundreds of millions of children enter the world, they are steeped in a steady stream of digital communication and connection" from the way their medical care is managed and delivered to the online pictures of their first precious moments. Not only are children surrounded by a digitally charged social settings, they themselves have become prolific and skilled users of technology. Children often begin using technology around the age of 2 years and by the time they reach adolescence, technology is fully embedded in their life; in fact, many teenagers would be unable to separate their online social life from their offline social life (Pew Research Centre, 2018). It is of no surprise, that technology is having an enormous impact on childhood. Social media, videogames, and messaging platforms such as What's App and Snapchat have become important social sites for young people. Their extensive engagement on these platforms strongly influence how they connect with others, who they connect with, how they engage with their world, and how they position and reposition themselves within it. There is however ongoing anxiety by adults regarding children's technology use. It has become commonplace to refer to young people as addicted to or obsessed with technology (Sahlberg, 2019). Media headlines consistently highlight the dangers of technology for today's youth with messages such as, "Video Games and Online Chats Are 'Hunting Grounds' for Sexual Predators" (New York Times, 2019), "Social media savvy teens more susceptible to eating disorders" (The Asian Age, 2019), and that "Two thirds of parents and 3 grandparents say childhoods getting worse" (Young, 2019). There may be truth to these sentiments, however it is important to dig past these often superficial and one-sided observations to understand why young people are engaging in these activities and why adults are pushing back.