EXPERIENCING HYBRID CHILDHOOD IN THE AGE OF “INTENSIVE PARENTING” – RESEARCH RESULTS
EXPERIENCING HYBRID CHILDHOOD IN THE AGE OF “INTENSIVE PARENTING” – RESEARCH RESULTS

Summary/Abstract: Introduction: The increasing share of media in children’s lives determines the content of child-ren’s experiences and contributes to the emergence of new images of childhood. Today, it is takingplace in the limitless digital space while freedom in the physical space is being restricted. Theresonance of the changes is evident in many areas of children’s lives and affects how they function.Research Aim: This study aims to explore the manifestations of children’s experiences of child-hood in a fluid physical-digital world. The category of “experiencing” denotes both the modesin which children function in the intertwining offline and online spaces as well as the emotionsinvolved.Method: Research material was collected through focus group interviews with nineteen chil-dren aged 8–10. Data was subsequently analyzed using thematic analysis.Results: Following the analysis, it was possible to draw a map of themes and codes of meaning.“Hybrid childhood” proved to be the primary theme, with several sub-themes relating to chil-dren’s experience of contemporary childhood. The secondary theme of “intensive parenting”emerged alongside, reflecting children’s emotions prompted by the dissent to being imposed avision of childhood by adults.Conclusions: Children naturally enter into the existing reality and move freely between the tra-ditional and online playgrounds, although they are definitely aware of the differences betweenthem. Nonetheless, experiencing hybrid childhood in the age of intensive parenting involveschildren’s dissent to their parents imposing unreasonable limitations and restrictions on engag-ing online, with which they themselves do not comply. Thus, the children articulate the needfor autonomy and participation in deciding about themselves. They challenge the argumentsbased on the commonplace belief that, because of their age, adults are entitled to more rightsthan children.

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