As a kid, there never used to be a single day where, after after my regular hour long mid-day nap, I would not go to the park outside my building, just to run around and slide and play on the swings if not have a round of games with my friends.
I had no knowledge about electronic gadgets and mobile phones. I would get maximum two hours on the computer, and that too for creating stuff on "Microsoft Paint". Phones, computers, etc were all adult stuff that I was unconcerned with - they were too complicated for me.
A day without a walk in the park and an ice-cream on the way back with my Dadi (grandma) was a day not lived. I would mourn and sulk if I went through a day like that.
On the other hand, when I look at the children and teenagers today, I am left speechless. The element of "fun" and the word "childhood" has practically been erased from their lives! But then - can we put the entire blame on the kids? I guess not. It's the parents who no longer have time for their kids in their busy metropolitan lives!
Oh there's this amazing movie coming out this weekend! Let's go for the last show, and since we can't leave the kids back home, we'll take them as well, irrespective of whether or not the movie is apt for them.
WHY? Why not spend those three hours interacting and playing with your kids, teaching them new stuff and instilling more values in their lives? Why not encourage to go out and play with their friends rather than sending them off to malls and buying them expensive phones, PS3's, X-Box, and various other gadgets!
Their imagination, thought process, and every functional, and exciting aspect of their lives has literally been brought to a halt.
The concept of picnics has practically become extinct! Museums, parks, and adventure sports are all concepts alien to the children today. "Oh Mom, its so boring!" is the first thing that'll come out of their little mouths the minute they hear the word museum or sanctuaries.
Moving on to the teenagers of today - the tech-savvy gen-next.
What does THEIR life consist of?
Exactly the same - the latest gadgets - laptops, mobiles, tablets, you name it and they have it.
And the most important part of their life - SOCIAL NETWORKING!
Now technically, these kids are super social - Facebook, Twitter, Hi5, WhatsApp, BBM and the like are always open on their various gadgets. Out with friends, click a picture and upload it on facebook, and tweet about it on twitter. Even when they are with people, their minds are constantly on facebook and other social networking sites and applications. The genuity, humility, beauty, and purity of the human heart, and the wit and logic expected from budding adults is actively missing in the lives of these young ones.
Thanks to the wonderful world of WhatsApp and BBM, the vocabulary of today's children and teenagers alike, has dropped to an all time low. Reading is a habit barely five percent of the youth today have been able to inculcate in themselves.
Though they'll be on texts and sites 24X7, expecting a normal conversation with them is like expecting something out of this world! The 'outings', 'get-togethers', 'reunions', parties' are ALL strictly limited to expenditure on new clothes, new shoes, expensive discos, booze, and the most stylish venues.
Life has literally become a competition. She gave her birthday party at 'Big Chills', I better give it at 'Hard Rock'.
Why? Where have the good old days of home made salami sandwiches, and rolls, baking, and cooking gone? Maybe we should look back on our lives, see where we are leading to. The rate at which the youth is going today, none of us will really have friends, or actual family reunions fifteen-twenty years down the line.
So is that really where we want to be? A position where we have no one there for us? A life of loneliness?
I guess not.
So learn to live life. Love, talk, play, have conversations. Nothing will make you happier than knowing that you have company! And once you start, you'll realise what you've been missing all this while trying to be 'social'. Start living the REAL life rather than the visual life. Sit with friends, go to parks, breathe the fresh air... Life's meant to be good. Let's try keeping it that way.
I had no knowledge about electronic gadgets and mobile phones. I would get maximum two hours on the computer, and that too for creating stuff on "Microsoft Paint". Phones, computers, etc were all adult stuff that I was unconcerned with - they were too complicated for me.
A day without a walk in the park and an ice-cream on the way back with my Dadi (grandma) was a day not lived. I would mourn and sulk if I went through a day like that.
On the other hand, when I look at the children and teenagers today, I am left speechless. The element of "fun" and the word "childhood" has practically been erased from their lives! But then - can we put the entire blame on the kids? I guess not. It's the parents who no longer have time for their kids in their busy metropolitan lives!
Oh there's this amazing movie coming out this weekend! Let's go for the last show, and since we can't leave the kids back home, we'll take them as well, irrespective of whether or not the movie is apt for them.
WHY? Why not spend those three hours interacting and playing with your kids, teaching them new stuff and instilling more values in their lives? Why not encourage to go out and play with their friends rather than sending them off to malls and buying them expensive phones, PS3's, X-Box, and various other gadgets!
Their imagination, thought process, and every functional, and exciting aspect of their lives has literally been brought to a halt.
The concept of picnics has practically become extinct! Museums, parks, and adventure sports are all concepts alien to the children today. "Oh Mom, its so boring!" is the first thing that'll come out of their little mouths the minute they hear the word museum or sanctuaries.
Moving on to the teenagers of today - the tech-savvy gen-next.
What does THEIR life consist of?
Exactly the same - the latest gadgets - laptops, mobiles, tablets, you name it and they have it.
And the most important part of their life - SOCIAL NETWORKING!
Now technically, these kids are super social - Facebook, Twitter, Hi5, WhatsApp, BBM and the like are always open on their various gadgets. Out with friends, click a picture and upload it on facebook, and tweet about it on twitter. Even when they are with people, their minds are constantly on facebook and other social networking sites and applications. The genuity, humility, beauty, and purity of the human heart, and the wit and logic expected from budding adults is actively missing in the lives of these young ones.
Thanks to the wonderful world of WhatsApp and BBM, the vocabulary of today's children and teenagers alike, has dropped to an all time low. Reading is a habit barely five percent of the youth today have been able to inculcate in themselves.
Though they'll be on texts and sites 24X7, expecting a normal conversation with them is like expecting something out of this world! The 'outings', 'get-togethers', 'reunions', parties' are ALL strictly limited to expenditure on new clothes, new shoes, expensive discos, booze, and the most stylish venues.
Life has literally become a competition. She gave her birthday party at 'Big Chills', I better give it at 'Hard Rock'.
Why? Where have the good old days of home made salami sandwiches, and rolls, baking, and cooking gone? Maybe we should look back on our lives, see where we are leading to. The rate at which the youth is going today, none of us will really have friends, or actual family reunions fifteen-twenty years down the line.
So is that really where we want to be? A position where we have no one there for us? A life of loneliness?
I guess not.
So learn to live life. Love, talk, play, have conversations. Nothing will make you happier than knowing that you have company! And once you start, you'll realise what you've been missing all this while trying to be 'social'. Start living the REAL life rather than the visual life. Sit with friends, go to parks, breathe the fresh air... Life's meant to be good. Let's try keeping it that way.
Beautifully put! What makes it more interesting is that the thoughts came out of an 'almost out of her teens' youngster, brought up on a diet of 'today'! If our children can think and feel this way, if their sensitivities are still alive...we haven't failed completely-there's hope yet! :)
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