Current signs of malaise in children

Abstract

This paper treats childhood as a changing discourse in time, a discourse subject to social transformations. It seeks to understand childhood malaise as a symptom of these changes rather than as individual disorders. This understanding, however, should take into consideration the always present “subject factor”. We point out three of these social transformations which affect “work/knowledge”, family dynamics and the alliance between technology and the capitalist narrative. The paper then goes on to analyse four phenomena occurring in the childhood and adolescence of many children of our time. These phenomena are “digital helplessness”, ADHD, bullying and child-to-parent violence. Lastly, we conclude by proposing an approach to this malaise, one that does not exclude the protagonists – children, teenagers and parents. Professionals, whether they are educators, clinicians or social workers, should be included in the intervention framework. They should never be left out, as if it were a case of an experimental method in which the subject is analysed aseptically. To achieve this end, conversation and networking are key tools.

Keywords: Childhood, adolescence, digital helplessness, ADHD, child-to-parent violence, bullying.