There is no single set of beliefs about children; childhood is a social and cultural construction. Social constructionism is concerned with ideas about children, not facts about them. Indeed, many social constructionists would deny the existence of universal facts about children (Woodhead and Montgomery 2003: 46). Ideas about children change because they depend on their social, cultural and historical context. Preconceived ideas about children have consequences, they affect the way children are treated and thought about (James and James 2008: 122). Postman (1994) believes that childhood, in its current conception, is “disappearing”. The following text will critically discuss Postman's (1994) theory, primarily considering the role he places on media, secrets, violence against children, and children's play. world; more precisely, adulthood must be defined differently, adults must become the “guardians” of children. This change occurred in the mid-15th century, propelled by the invention of printing, which in turn developed a new symbolic world. The new adulthood excluded children; it therefore became necessary to create a new childhood (Postman 1994: 21). Childhood is recognized as a characteristic of the natural order. The child has become a special creature with a different nature and different needs, who needs protection from the adult world (Postman 1994: 37). Childhood can be defined as a set of ideas and feelings that characterize the socially constructed nature of childhood (Wyness 2006). . Therefore, children's childhood and everyday life experiences are constructed by adults through...... middle of paper ......tion,' Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillion.James, A. and James, A. (2008) 'Key concepts in childhood studies', London: Sage. Mayall, B. (2003) Towards a sociology of childhood, thinking from children's lives, Berkshire: Open University Press. Postman, N, (1994) (Eds) 'The Vanishing of Childhood', New York: Random house. Vanobbergen, B. (2004) 'Wanted: real children. On innocence and nostalgia in a commodified childhood, Studies in Philosophy and Education 23: 161-176. Woodhead, M. and Montgomery, H. (Eds) (2003) 'Understanding childhood: an interdisciplinary approach', Milton Keynes: John Wiley and Sons in association with the Open University. Wyness, M. (2006) 'Childhood and society: an introduction to the sociology of childhood', Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. Wyness, M. (2000) “Contesting Childhood”, London: Falmer Press.