Cultural-psychological changes of the phenomenon of childhood in the digital age

Abstract

The article examines the cultural and psychological transformation of the phenomenon of childhood in the context of the formation of a digital society. The early and widespread integration of digital technologies into children’s everyday lives fundamentally changes the characteristics of socialization in childhood. As a consequence of these changes, the phenomenon of digital addiction and its impact on children’s mental development is identified as a relevant scientific issue.

The aim of the study is to identify the characteristics of digital device use among primary school children and to analyze the relationship between indicators of digital addiction and components of divergent thinking. The study involved 103 pupils of grades 3–4 from general education schools in Almaty. The empirical research employed the Digital Addiction Scale developed by N.S. Hawi and a shortened version of P. Torrance’s Figural Creativity Test. The data were processed using SPSS for Windows with the Mann–Whitney U test and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient.

The results revealed that a proportion of primary school children are at risk of developing digital addiction. A statistically significant negative relationship was found between excessive use of digital devices and the “flexibility” component of divergent thinking. In addition, associations were observed between digital addiction, emotional well-being, and difficulties in family relationships.

In conclusion, the findings indicate that uncontrolled use of digital devices may negatively affect the cognitive and creative development of primary school children and emphasize the importance of regulating children’s digital behavior and fostering digital culture.