The social representation of Internet use in childhood and adolescence: critical appraisal

Abstract

The work presented below makes a critical analysis of the existing social representations about the use of the internet, and in general of the experience in the digital environment by children and adolescents. For this, the article is based on a qualitative methodology, scrutinizing and contrasting the adult discourse with the discourse of childhood and adolescence, since the voice and participation of the latter has remained an indispensable element in the design and methodological application. recognizing their social agency to contribute to the understanding of this phenomenon, but above all, to know their proposals, opinions and experiences in the safe use of the internet. The results show an intergenerational tension in adult social representations compared to the representations of children and adolescents, for whom it is essential to create a new intergenerational pact that leads to reconcile different points of view, recognizing their active role in decision-making, autonomy, as well as their responsibility in a new digitized environment.