A Childhood Changed

Kids these days are experiencing a drastically different childhood then I did, which may sound strange considering the fact that I am only a few weeks shy of 23. They weren’t born too much after I was, however kids today were born into a completely different world and childhood. I was born in the late eighties, but I really consider myself a child of the nineties since I was only two when 1990 came around.
 
When I was a child life was much different. My parents were concerned for the safety of my sisters and I, but they were by no means overprotective. They let us play outside, with only the occasional peek out the wondow to make sure we were okay. They didn’t smother us with their constant presence. Yes, they drove us places, but we also walked and rode our bikes, or scooters, or used our rollerblades for alternate forms of transportation. My sisters and I spent a great deal of time outside running around and playing games. We did watch television and play video games, but my parents regulated those activities, sending us outside instead when the weather permitted. We had treats in the house, but we were not allowed to eat them all the time and we had to ask permisssion to have any type of snack before we got it. My childhood was healthy and active.
 
Even technology played a different role. Computers existed, but it was rare to find one in any given house you walked into. The internet was barely on the map and kids definitely didn’t walk around with cell phones of their own. They relied on land lines and memorizing all the telephone numbers they might need at any given time. Being able to reach someone anytime, anywhere was a novel concept and cell phone use was reserved for business men and women. Cell phones were not as accessible as they are today.
 
Today it is completely different. Kids these days grew up with all the technology that was still new during my childhood. Computers and cell phones are the norm and this has changed the way children live their everyday lives. They use these items far too much and in many cases, it is more harmful than benficial. Even my baby sister who was born on the cusp of these changes has had issues with overuse of technology. By the time she was sixteen, she was diagnosed with carpal tunnel from typing and texting excessively. I don’t even want to think about how many kids have since followed in her footsteps.
 
Parents have become overly concerned with some of the wrong isssues. They are more worried about their child being abducted (yes, it happens, but it shouldn’t be the only concern) than childhood obesity. Kids these days spend way less time outside playing and getting sufficient exercise than they do watching television, playing video games and surfing the web. Many parents I have encountered let their kids eat whatever whenever as well, which only exacerbates this unhealthy lifestyle kids are living today.
 
In a way I feel like the kids are losing out on some of the best parts of being a kid. Yes, media is entertaining, but so is exploring the outside, making mud pies and jumping into piles of raked up leaves. Everyone’s lives these days, especially the kids, seem to be consumed with technology and media when we did perfectly fine in a world without a constant attachment to all these devices. Technology has stolen the innocence of childhood from today’s youth. Sometimes I feel as If I grew up in a different world, when I know that this shift actually began soon after my birth. I can’t even imagine what childhood is like these days. Kids are more like mini adults than children. They need their childhood back. The sad reality is, I’m not sure if that is possible. Technology has advanced too far and too much has changed for things to simply revert back to the way they once were.