Viewpoint: Hacking childhood: will future technologies undermine, or enable, optimal early childhood development?

It's 2041. Children born during the COVID-19 pandemic are graduating (virtually). For several decades, the internet has been part of everyday adult lives. But now, of course, so much more has changed, including for our children. It's almost impossible to tell exactly when we really lost control. Where once, parents (mainly mothers) were considered primary caregivers, now child rearing is largely the domain of machines guided by the algorithms.

Publication Details

Journal
Human Science Research Council SA
Published
2025-12-09
DOI
https://doi.org/10.14749/30830615
Primary Topic
Child Development and Digital Technology
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Viewpoint: Hacking childhood: will future technologies undermine, or enable, optimal early childhood development?

Human Science Research Council SA
Child Development and Digital Technology
article

Viewpoint: Hacking childhood: will future technologies undermine, or enable, optimal early childhood development?

article en

Abstract

It's 2041. Children born during the COVID-19 pandemic are graduating (virtually). For several decades, the internet has been part of everyday adult lives. But now, of course, so much more has changed, including for our children. It's almost impossible to tell exactly when we really lost control. Where once, parents (mainly mothers) were considered primary caregivers, now child rearing is largely the domain of machines guided by the algorithms.

Human Science Research Council SA
Good health and well-being
Openalex Percentile: Top 25%
Child Development and Digital Technology
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Viewpoint: Hacking childhood: will future technologies undermine, or enable, optimal early childhood development? · Human Science Research Council SA (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS