Towards a digital culture of everyday school life

The digital in history and in the classroom

Abstract

With the dissemination and circulation of digital devices in contemporary societies—particularly since the 1970s—one observes the constitution of a Digital Culture of Everyday Life, marked by the impact of digital objects on forms of human interaction, as well as on the world of labor and education. This phenomenon has led to the extinction of certain professions, the emergence of new ones, and the introduction of novel demands and social conflicts. This process has likewise taken place within educational space. Therefore, the present study aims to reflect upon the existence of a Digital Culture of Everyday School Life, shaped by the institutional—or non-institutional integration of digital technologies into school spaces and the daily routines of the educational community. To this end, the study presents the formation process of digital culture and its developments in the dissemination and accessibility of information, analyzing its impacts on historical research and emphasizing the necessity of new analytical approaches that engage with this context. Furthermore, it is understood that the presence of digital technologies in classrooms and learning processes has contributed to the gradual blurring of the institutional boundaries of schools. It is also acknowledged that the materiality of digital devices serves as the medium for the language that shapes the digital realm and constitutes tools for engaging with the world; thus, they are not merely objects within the school space. Finally, the study outlines possible avenues for the reading and critical analysis of the digital culture of everyday school life and highlights its significance for the field of history of education.