Civilizational Threats to Childhood and Adolescence

Abstract

Contemporary childhood is developing within a civilizational crisis (environmental, economic, and social) which, according to Bartra (2013), stems from a production and consumption model undermining the two original sources of wealth: the earth and human beings. Within this global order, individuals are reduced to mere workers and consumers, “enslaved by advertising,” stripped of the cultural institutions that once served as a “protective layer” against excessive accumulation (Bartra, 2013). This crisis translates into an “erosion of the subject,” in which society’s greatest wealth—its youth—is squandered by the inability of the system to provide a dignified future, pushing children toward compulsive consumption mechanisms as a means of escape or belonging (Bartra, 2013). In countries such as Mexico, this environment is further exacerbated by economic precarity, due to it 36.3% poverty rate, and high levels of criminality, increasing exposure to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). The latter are linked to more non-suicidal self-injury in adolescence (He et al., 2024) and a greater risk of substance abuse in adulthood (León Rojas et al., 2025). In this editorial, we review three civilizational threats to childhood and adolescence: addiction, identity, and violence.