Human beings, due to our unfinished nature, need the natural and social environment to flourish. Throughout history, this environment has been shaped through a symbiosis between the natural and the artificial. As highlighted by the theme of the ECER 2025 conference, this process remains relevant and deserves our attention, when it states that "humanity is facing technological and climate changes that are transforming our way of living and our culture". Changes that are reflected in how it is particularly difficult to disengage from technology, that has been designed to profoundly shape our lives (Caballero et al., 2024), while studies show that contact with nature, despite being key to our development as human beings, is diminishing (Chawla, 2020; Gutiérrez et al., 2023; Thorsteinsson et al., 2023).

This context raises the need to address two apparently opposing but interrelated phenomena. On the one hand, hyperconnectivity as a cultural reality of childhood (Sánchez-Rojo et al., 2022), and on the other, the well-known nature deficit disorder (Louv, 2005). These are two phenomena that particularly affect children's identity development (Caballero et al., 2024; Gutiérrez et al., 2024), which is why we believe their study can provide insights that allow us to improve educational practices to foster human flourishing closely linked contact with nature and, at the same time, identify how we can generate a stronger bond and connection with nature. We consider late childhood (ages 9-11) as a key period for achieving these objectives, as it is a period where children begin to have more autonomy in the use of both nature and digital devices.

On the one hand, science is clear: contact with nature is necessary for the proper development of our mental, physical, and spiritual health (Thorsteinsson et al., 2023; Yeong & Sheffield, 2024). At the same time, we find studies indicating that children are spending less and less time in natural environments (Chawla, 2020) and more time in digital environments (Auxier et al., 2020; Caballero et al., 2023). Additionally, childhood experiences have a significant impact on environmental attitudes, commitments, and actions in adulthood. Studies such as that of Bezeljak et al. (2023) identify that factors such as gender, age, ethnicity, or time spent in nature have implications for the connection we develop with it.

On the other hand, research in this area points to differences in gender perspectives. Some studies (Tilstra et al., 2022; Bryce et al., 2023) suggest that girls tend to exhibit stronger pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours, but participate less in outdoor adventure activities, historically associated with masculine traits. In contrast, boys tend to make more recreational use of natural spaces, albeit with less ecological concern. This contrast has implications for educational design, particularly in creating inclusive programmes that promote connection with nature without excluding either gender.

In line with the above, we present part of the results of the research project NATEC-ID: Analysis of the Processes of (Dis-)connection with Nature and Technology in the Construction of Children's Identity, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. This research aims to identify a model that allows us to determine the possible impact of hyperconnectivity and nature deficit on children's personal and social identity.

A quantitative non-experimental, cross-sectional study with an exploratory-descriptive and correlational approach was conducted (Hernández et al., 2018). The study analyzed the distribution of perceptions of children aged 9 to 11 years old regarding the variables of connection to technology and nature, and the educational and recreational uses they make of both, from the perspective of individual and social self-concept. The aim was to understand their influence on child development and their immediate context. The natural conditions of the participants were not manipulated. A stratified multistage cluster sampling of students aged 9-11 years in the last two years of primary school was conducted during the 2023-2024 academic year, with a total population of 975,109 students (Ministry of Education, Vocational Training, 2022). An anonymous questionnaire was administered. The instrument is divided into three sections: a) sociodemographic profile; b) use and connection with nature; and c) use and connection with technology. Data were collected in different schools in Spain between January and April 2025. The data was analyzed using SPSS Statistics software, v.28. The instrument includes 24 items corresponding to three dimensions (connection, educational use, and recreational use) for each block. The internal consistency of the instrument, evaluated with Cronbach's Alpha coefficient, revealed variations among the studied dimensions: connection with nature (5 items, α = 0.689); educational use of nature (3 items, α = 0.524); recreational use of nature (3 items, α = 0.512); connection with technology (5 items, α = 0.737); educational use of technology (4 items, α = 0.572); and recreational use of technology (4 items, α = 0.520). Although some dimensions showed low internal consistency, possibly due to the small number of items, these values are considered acceptable for exploratory studies (Merino & Lautenschlager, 2003). The Kolmogorov-Smirnov normality test yielded p-values < 0.05 for all dimensions, rejecting the normality hypothesis and suggesting diversity in participants’ experiences and perceptions. After exploring descriptive statistics and frequencies associated with each variable, we examined their bivariate correlations, applying Mann-Whitney U tests to test the heterogeneity of two ordinal samples in terms of gender and course. The Kruskal-Wallis test, was used to analyse age group differences, as it is appropriate for comparing more than two independent groups without assuming a normal data distribution. For significant results, pairwise comparisons were performed using Bonferroni correction to control for type I error in multiple comparisons.

The most relevant results indicate subtle but significant differences between boys and girls in their connection and use of nature and technology. In terms of connection to nature, there were statistically significant differences between girls and boys (p<0.001), with girls showing a stronger connection to nature (M = 3.38, SD = 0.691) compared to boys (M = 3.24, SD = 0.742). Similarly, boys exhibited a stronger connection to technology (M = 3.34, SD = 0.712) than girls (M = 3.03, SD = 0.706). In terms of recreational use, significantly different patterns between genders were identified, suggesting that recreational activities in both contexts are perceived and enjoyed differently. Boys tend to use nature more (M = 3.28, SD = 0.720) than girls (M = 3.18, SD = 0.690), while girls show stronger playful use of technology (M = 3.33, SD = 0.741) compared to boys (M = 3.19, SD = 0.792). The Mann-Whitney U for all these variables was significant (p < 0.001). Regarding educational use, results indicated significant differences for nature (U p=0.040), while no significant differences were observed for educational use of technology (U p=0.492). On the other hand, we found that the connection with nature increases significantly between the ages of 10 and 12, indicating that the development of the relationship with the natural environment is not necessarily compromised by the increased use of digital technology. In conclusion, these findings highlight the importance of considering age and gender differences in the design of educational programs and activities that foster both nature connection and technology use in childhood, suggesting that an adapted approach could be beneficial in maximizing participation and effectiveness in both areas.

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