Due to the disappearance of children's traditional
games, the growing similarity of adult and children's
clothing and children committing adult crimes like murder.
Childhood was created after Middle Ages when adults learnt to read, giving them power over illiterate
children. This is the information hierarchy. Childhood is disappearing now because new media such as
television means that children can access the same information as adults, breaking information hierarchy.
Opie & Opie: There's Still Separate Children's Culture
Eg. Children often play with imaginary friends and watch
specialised children's TV. Their study contradicts Postman
because they found that just as in the past, children create
their own independent culture separate to that of adults.
Palmer: Children Have A Toxic Upbringing
Childhood has not disappeared, instead rapid technological
and cultural changes over past 25 years have damaged
children's emotional and physical development.
Eg. gaming leads to lack of exercise and obesity as well as affecting social skills and intellectual ability.
Globalisation of Western Childhood
International humanitarian and welfare agencies exported
Western norms of childhood to other parts of the world and
thus childhood as we know it has become globalised.
Eg. By campaigning against child labour, agencies
impose Western views of what children should and should
not do. Hence, childhood is spreading, not disappearing.