Research of modern childhood’s prefigurative aspects

Abstract

Today, changes are observed in all spheres of human life and society. It is possible to study the prospects of society in many aspects of its functioning — economic, political, social, cultural, technological, etc., using a different level of generalization. In addition to the directions of changes in society, it is necessary to take into account the specifics of the subjects involved in the implementation of changes. The role of children and the importance of attitudes towards children in shaping the future are reflected in a number of concepts. One such concept, on the three types of cultures, belongs to M. Mead. In the article the author makes an attempt to define the contours of modern childhood in the context of prefiguration. With this goal, an analytical review is conducted of the peculiarities of “Generation Z” and the life of modern children in the conditions of an updated socio-cultural environment. The research results and monitoring of modern children’s lives served as an informational foundation for theoretical reflection. Children’s perceptibility to acquiring and using electronic innovations and technology as well as their “optional” attribution in everyday life result in the appearance of prefigurative characteristics in modern society. They are expressed in the transformation of children’s main activities, ahead of the development of the “digital world’s” technological innovations, an unimpeded overcoming of spatio-temporal distances in virtual reality and the actualization of the current moment “here and now”, the expansion of the communication field, the removal of psychological and language barriers due to the mediation of relations and the creation of new communication tools, and the structuring of society on new grounds. Society’s interest in innovation is expressed in the fact that information technologies, like other innovations of previous eras, provide awareness, algorithmic, accessibility and speed for the flow of social processes and relations.