ABSTRACT
A prevailing myth in contemporary western society is that the quality of childhood has deteriorated in recent decades and has become ‘toxic’. According to the mythology of ‘toxic childhood’, this is largely due to the increasingly screen-based culture of today’s children and young people. This narrative of how the supposed innocence of childhood is being ruined by progressive aspects of modern life can be found running through public and professional debate, and has gained momentum since the turn of the millennium and the advances in digital technology which that has brought.
