Childhood and fantasy game in the digital world

• Main Author: Lluís Andreu Bertran
• Format: Article
• Language: Catalan
• Published: Universitat Politecnica de Valencia 2015-04-01
• Series: Revista Sobre la Infancia y la Adolescencia
• Subjects: Norma; Regla; Explícito; Ausencia; Yo; No-yo; Objetividad; Subjetividad; Protección
• Online Access: http://polipapers.upv.es/index.php/reinad/article/view/3494

We begin with questions that offer multiple answers and open a debate which will give a more complete answer with richer content when possible. Who sets the rules to play in the Children’s digital world? Who sets the limits of this digital world for a child to play learn or communicate? The child interacts with the digital world: games, social networks, web surfing,... with rules that establish a commitment with those who do not agree with them, they lead to a "free" associative, cognitive and emotional movement. Thereby, does the child play with computers or does he grow up with them? Since there are no explicit rules we would be wrong to think that this implies the absence of any mandatory rule. This universal rule which we believe to exist in every child, could be included either in its "Self" or in his fantasy in very distinct ways and different consequences. Would it be risky to state that for a child "to play is to play" regardless of origin of the rules? Are we therefore facing the dilemma of objective and subjective rules in their development and understanding? Should we offer them as many objectivity inputs as possible in order to neutralize, redirect or ban the subjectivity and fantasy the interaction involves with the digital world, which can be even perverse in the worst case scenario? It is essential for us to think that the child’s protection towards the digital world will happen in all the situations where he can understand and assume as a rule from his "Self". We have to take on count that from his "Self” and his "Not-Self" there is a fantasy open space that can bring wealth but also a lot of danger for him. If he is abandoned to his fate and the interaction is performed from the position of "Not-Self", the danger of being alone in the digital world with nothing protects him, can have consequences during his development with incalculable damages.