Lost in the digital forest? Rethinking childhood between screens and nature

Childhood is a critical stage in the development of our individual identities. It is precisely the time when a child begins to become increasingly affected by two processes that may be acting in a manner that is inversely proportional to their educational needs: on the one hand, hyperconnectivity as a cultural reality in childhood and, on the other, a nature deficit. Against this backdrop, this article describes a research process designed to analyse the ludic and didactic use made in childhood of technology and the natural environment, further considering the role played by variables such as gender, age, and school year. This process is of a quantitative, non-experimental, and cross-sectional nature, adopting an exploratory-descriptive and correlational approach. The sample consists of 2,586 schoolchildren aged between 9 and 13. The findings reveal significant differences depending on gender: girls are more engaged with nature, while boys tend more toward technology. There are also differences between school years and the children’s ages, with a highlight being a steady decrease in the ludic use of nature and its appreciation as children grow older, especially between the ages of 10 and 12. The study suggests that schools may have a key role to play is reversing these trends, especially using active methodologies and curricular proposals that bring the experience of nature into the classroom. Finally, the discussion focuses on the importance of designing teaching practices that strike a balance between technology and nature with a view to fostering children’s sustainable and mindful development in the digital era.