Childhood idealization:

who are the children that wait for us in the present school?

Abstract

This study aims to explore the conceptions of childhood from the 12th century to the present day, focusing on understanding the identity of the child who attends today's schools. The central theme of the research is the idealization of childhood, examining how different perceptions of childhood have evolved over time, even including the influence of the digital world on these perceptions. To achieve this, the study draws on specialized literature (Ariès, 1981; David Buckingham, 2007) and analyzes data collected from the experiences of two participants in the Institutional Program for Teaching Initiation (PIBID) in the Physical Education/Pedagogy subproject, recorded in their field journals between February and December 2023. The research seeks to identify possible influences that have shaped the contemporary notion of "being a child" and to reflect on how these influences may affect child development and learning processes. Among these influences, the study highlights the prevalence of social media and its excessive use by children over other forms of entertainment and opinion formation.

Keywords: Childhood; Contemporaneity; Digital culture; Development, Learning.