The Death of Childhood: Reinventing the Joy of Growing Up

Victor Strasburger

Apr 2019 · Cambridge Scholars Publishing

About this ebook

Written by an international expert on the effects of media on children, The Death of Childhood provides a fascinating—and sobering—look at what it means to grow up in America today. Following in the footsteps of Neil Postman, Marie Winn, and Mary Pipher, this riveting and heart-breaking book is an obituary to childhood, exploring its origins and tracing its progress to what could be its bitter end in the early 21st century—if we don’t act now to resuscitate it.

No longer are we raising children in the idyllic world that many of today’s grandparents and parents remember—a world filled with kick-the-can, unsupervised bike adventures and dog-walking, and the freedom to explore. Now, thanks to the Internet, new technology, and social networking, the complexion of childhood has changed and there are no adult “secrets” anymore—the answer to every question exists a fingertip’s reach away in cyberspace. It’s not just technology and media that are changing, childhood is also suffering the effects of underfunded schools, inattentive parents, a plethora of guns, and a hostile society. Despite all of that, this book shows that there is hope, and offers solutions to restore the charm and innocence of childhood.

About the author

Dr Victor Strasburger is an eminent American pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist. He is the Founding Chief of the Division of Adolescent Medicine and Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics Emeritus at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in Albuquerque, USA, where he has worked for the past 30 years. He has authored more than 200 articles and papers and 14 books (including one novel) on the subjects of adolescent medicine, and the effects of television on children and adolescents. He is the co-author of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ famous 2-hour media rule for children and adolescents and several other AAP policy statements. Dr Strasburger is a Fulbright Scholar who has lectured in 48 of the 50 United States and on five continents, and has appeared on “Oprah” and “Today”.