Fact Not Fiction! The Vanishing Childhood, Book 10, (Paperback)

<p><b>What happened to childhood?</b></p><p>Once upon a time, British children disappeared outdoors for entire days armed only with bicycles, footballs and vague promises to "be home before dark". They climbed trees, built dens, watched Saturday-morning television with religious devotion and learned resilience through scraped knees, boredom and adventure.</p><p>Today's children grow up in a very different world.</p><p>A world of smartphones, algorithms, social media, online friendships and constant digital connection.</p><p>They are safer.<br>More informed.<br>More protected.</p><p>And yet many children today also feel more anxious, more pressured and more isolated than previous generations ever did.</p><p>In The Vanishing Childhood, Robin Wickens takes readers on a deeply nostalgic, funny and emotionally powerful journey through British childhood from the 1950s to the present day. Blending social history, humour, memoir-style observation and thoughtful cultural reflection, this book explores what children truly gained through modern progress - and what quietly disappeared along the way.</p><p>Inside this richly detailed book, discover: </p><p>How neighbourhood childhoods disappeared</p><p>Why boredom once created imagination</p><p>The rise of television, gaming and smartphones</p><p>How family meals and community life changed</p><p>What children lost when streets became quieter</p><p>The emotional impact of social media and constant comparison</p><p>How schools, discipline and parenting evolved</p><p>Why modern childhood feels both safer and more stressful</p><p>What adults can still reclaim from older generations</p><p>Warm, compassionate and sharply observed, The Vanishing Childhood is not a complaint about "kids these days".</p><p>Instead, it asks a deeper question: </p><p>What kind of world are we building for children now?</p><p>Perfect for readers who enjoy: </p><p>British nostalgia</p><p>Social history</p><p>Parenting reflections</p><p>Books about modern life and technology</p><p>Memoirs of growing up in Britain</p><p>Thought-provoking cultural commentary</p><p>Warm observational humour</p><p>Whether you remember milk bottles in classrooms, Saturday cartoons and paper rounds - or whether you grew up entirely online - this book will make you laugh, reflect and remember the ordinary moments that shaped us all.</p><p>Because childhood was never perfect.</p><p>But perhaps it was never supposed to be.</p>

• Fact Not Fiction! The Vanishing Childhood, Book 10, (Paperback)
• Author: Robin Wickens
• ISBN: 9798197155580
• Format: Paperback
• Publication Date: 2026-05-16
• Page Count: 310