This research is carried out under a Predoctoral Research contract funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation as part of the Research Project "Analysis of the processes of (dis-)connection with nature and technology in the construction of children's identity" (PID2021-122993NB-100) and serves as the foundation of this study.  The objective of the project is to understand the identity construction processes of children in their final stage of childhood development, analyzing how and to what extent hyperconnectivity and nature deficit affect key variables of identity development, as well as the potential interconnections between these two phenomena.

It is imperative to closely examine these phenomena due to their potential consequences —both positive and negative— on children's identity construction. Hyperconnectivity, defined as the constant interaction between children and technology (Hoskins & Tulloch, 2016), introduces new ways of being, acting, and feeling that must be addressed through pedagogical frameworks (García del Dujo et al., 2021). Conversely, the digital environment has been shown to create a perceived distance between childhood and the natural world, a concept termed "nature deficit" by Louv (2005), which has been demonstrated to have significant effects on children's development (Serrate et al., 2025). The impact of technology and the lack of nature has been widely examined in the educational sector. Existing scientific literature suggests that research on childhood and technology is primarily focused on the teaching and learning domains, with particular concern regarding the psychological effects of excessive screen exposure (Caballero-Julia et al., 2024). Conversely, studies on children's encounters with nature and their impact on identity development tend to be framed within the context of well-being, but this focus remains relatively limited, especially within the 10–12 age range, just before adolescence (Gutiérrez-Pérez et al., 2024). On the one hand, it is essential to conceptualize technology as a cultural entity (García del Dujo et al., 2021) and as a tool that can facilitate children's connection with nature (Gutiérrez-Pérez et al., 2024). On the other hand, recognizing the importance of general well-being in human development and the crucial role of the natural environment in promoting it (Berrea-Hernández et al., 2020) highlights the emotional dimension of children's identity, which is particularly relevant in pedagogy. Research has shown that childhood experiences in natural environments contribute to positive developmental outcomes, even when mediated by technology (Silva-Fernández et al., in review).

This study is based on the idea that the existing gap between childhood and nature is shaped by adult-driven dynamics, as adults tend to prioritize spending time there. Likewise, children's relationships with and within the digital environment are also influenced and conditioned by an adult-centric perspective. Focusing on specific internal aspects of identity, this research seeks to answer the following questions: To what extent do hyperconnectivity and nature deficit affect children's identity construction in late childhood? How do the relationships children establish with screens shape their relationship with the natural environment, and vice versa? These questions will be addressed by considering identity dimensions related to the sense of freedom, the perception of risk, and the control exercised by adults in both environments. The selection of these dimensions is based on scientific evidence demonstrating their significant influence on identity construction during childhood (Reyero, 2003). In this way, the research contributes to advancing knowledge on the implications of these phenomena in human development.

With the aim of exploring the meanings that children attach to both technology and the natural environment in the everyday context of their lives — and in order to answer the proposed research questions — an experimental-observational study was designed and developed. The selected sample was limited to 30 children enrolled in Spanish schools between the ages of 10 and 12, corresponding to the 5th and 6th grades of primary education in the Spanish educational system. The selection of the sample followed specific criteria to ensure its representativeness, namely ensuring gender parity, the participation of children from both rural and urban areas, and the inclusion of schools with different governance models. The study was carried out over three days, during which the group of participating children stayed at the "CIAM El Tormes-EB," a nationally and internationally recognized environmental education centre in Spain, together with six researchers specializing in the subject and with extensive experience in socio-educational interventions with children and young people. During the three sessions, the researchers recorded the attitudes, behaviours, modes of interaction, and verbal and non-verbal expressions of the participants through a series of activities designed in advance by the research team and implemented by the centre's professionals. These activities were divided into three different blocks: play-based activities using technological devices (gamer zone), traditional activities in nature, and nature-based activities supported by technology. During these sessions, the role and behaviour of adult carers varied in order to observe possible behavioural differences in terms of sense of freedom and perceived risk. The tools developed for data collection were qualitative in nature. Techniques from ethnography were used, in particular, direct observation of participants, which allowed a deeper exploration of the meanings underlying participants' practices through the recording of observations in field notebooks. In addition, informal interviews were videotaped. For data analysis, the field notebooks were transcribed, and categories were defined using Nvivo analysis software to identify: 1) the resources children use in their practices (both verbal and non-verbal); 2) the meanings children attach to their practices; and 3) the patterns of time and space usage in the different environments.

At this moment in the research, all of the recorded information has been processed, and the in-depth analysis process is underway. At this stage, all of the data has been organized and encoded, and a complete database has been created. This work presents some preliminary results as an initial approximation that can be verified and expanded as the analysis process progresses. Initial findings suggest that the presence of adults has a restrictive effect on children's sense of freedom and increases the sense of risk, thereby compromising their connection with nature and technology. It has been observed that, in the case of adults, both verbal and non-verbal practices vary in both environments towards what the adult perceives as more appropriate. Physical interactions with elements of the natural environment and observations about the environment shared with other children decrease. Secondly, it has been observed that the role of technology in different activities appears to transition from its initial function as a medium that expands opportunities for play and interaction with the environment, to its current perception as a means of communication that is regarded as something to be hidden in the presence of adults. In terms of the use of space, the presence of adults has been observed to limit the range of movement within that space, encouraging children to seek more sheltered or indoor areas in which to play.

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