The Disappearance of Childhood (1982 / Vintage 1994)
In The Disappearance of Childhood, Neil Postman argues that the concept of “childhood” as we know it is not a biological fact but a social construct — one born with the rise of literacy and schooling in the print era, and now dissolving under the influence of electronic media.
Before the invention of the printing press, children were seen as miniature adults — quickly initiated into the adult world without a protected stage of innocence. The rise of print literacy created a boundary: childhood became a period of moral and intellectual formation before exposure to adult knowledge. Postman claims television and modern media have reversed this, removing that boundary by making adult secrets — sex, violence, politics — universally visible.
“Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.”
Key Ideas from the Book
- Childhood as a Cultural Invention: The idea of childhood emerged with literacy, when reading created a distinction between what children could and could not know.
- The Role of Television: TV reveals everything to everyone, destroying the secrecy that once defined adulthood and education.
- Loss of Shame and Mystery: When all knowledge is public, innocence and moral development lose meaning.
- Education Undermined: The school’s authority weakens as media becomes the child’s main teacher.
- A Call to Cultural Reflection: Postman does not reject media but urges society to consciously preserve the values that sustain childhood as a meaningful stage of life.
Relevance Today
Four decades later, Postman’s argument feels prophetic in the age of smartphones, YouTube, and social media. The disappearance of boundaries between child and adult life is now a lived reality: kids share the same screens, content, and attention economy as adults. His warning remains urgent — to rebuild educational and cultural frameworks that help children grow into reflective, mature citizens.