How have children’s lives changed in the past two or three decades? Have they changed for the worse or the better? In particular, have children’s lives been narrowed by the health and safety constraints on outdoor play and by the apparent domination of television and computer games in their lives?

What kind of impact are parental and public concerns about their safety likely to have on their ability to engage freely in play with their peers, and on their social and physical development? Are children (especially in the English-speaking Western world) turning into obese couch potatoes or anti-social geeks? Do these technologies limit children’s range of play (as some claim) or extend it with games that challenge their intellect and dexterity?  Does the internet put children at risk of online abuse or rather enable them to benefit from the possibilities of connecting with other children around the globe?