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There is an argument that childhood as we know is disappearing. That the distinction between adulthood and childhood is narrowing. Neil Postman (1994) He argues that childhood is disappearing at a dazzling speed. He looks at the trend towards giving children the same rights as adults, the growing similarity of adult and childrens clothing and even cases of children committing adult crimes (murder, rape). He suggests that in the middle ages most people were illiterate (cant read or write) so there wasnt this mystery surrounding adulthood as children could access it through speech. Postman argues that childhood emerged along with mass literacy. This was because the printed word created a division between those that could read (adults) and those that couldnt (children). HOWEVER, he argues now that things like television and the internet blur this separation and that children are now able to access the adult world. He has been criticised for over-emphasising television as a cause for the disappearance of childhood, whilst ignoring other factors like changes in the law.
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