Looking back at the past it was clear that there once was a time when children were as grown up as the adults around them, the harsh realities of life were never hidden and children as young as four would start working.
As technology has progressed -- the earliest example being the development of the written language -- it became clear that an adult/child divide was beginning to appear: technology and language were now the exclusive toys of the adults.
Of course nothing stays true for long and once again we find that technology has started bringing us back into the same playing field.
In episode six of her groundbreaking web show The Future Starts Here', acclaimed filmmaker and creator of the Webby Awards, Tiffany Shlain looks at how technology is posing some truly difficult questions for parents on how to both enlighten and protect their children from the dangers and wonders that modern technology can provide.
Should they have a smartphone? How early is it to let them have an Xbox? Should they be allowed a tablet? These are the questions that many parents now face and they're questions that Shlain hopes to answer.
Check out episode six, above. Check every week for new episodes until December.