Reporter: Amy Valm
When I was a kid, we went outside and played, got lost in our imagination and lived vicariously through fun. Maybe I’m dating myself, but growing up in the ‘80s, my generation had a plethora of entertainment. We had amazing television shows, enjoyed pixelated two-dimensional video games, and found enthrallment in slap bracelets and playing marbles. We lived and breathed for these pleasures everyday.
The point of this walk down memory lane is, my generation had distractions. We had indoor things to do, but we played outside despite that, we used our imagination, entertained ourselves and socialized with others at point blank range, not through a monitor or text. We were active and fulfilled.
Kids today have too much technology hindering their creative outlets. The fact that childhood obesity is at an all-time high is disturbing. According to a report by Alberta Health Services, 26 per cent of Canadians 2 to 17-years-old were considered obese in 2004. This statistic is triple what it was in 1979. It’s up to parents to mold their children, and protect them from childhood ailments, such as obesity. Parents need to encourage their kids to be creative, and play with their children.
It wasn’t Call of Duty when I was a kid, it was called capture the flag, a real game, filled with adrenaline and stealth. Video games are figuritively killing kids today, socially and mentally. A 17-year-old boy famously tapes his brothers “greatest freak-outs of all time” on his YouTube channel. His first video, which has been viewed by millions is of a hidden camera capturing his brother freaking out because their mom cancelled his World of Warcraft account. The then 15-year-old brother literally throws a tantrum, famously punching his bed, screaming, beating his chest, tearing off his clothes and even trying to sodomize himself with a television remote. Besides the obvious fact that this kid clearly has some issues or some form of disability, he is losing his *&%# over not having access to a computer game. This is pathetic and sad, and makes me scared for the future.
Imagine this scenario, watching movies used to consist of a room and television, now it happens on a computer. Making music was comprised of playing instruments and utilizing talent, now it’s mostly made on a computer. Talking to friends involved being with them or on the phone, now it happens on a computer. Life seems to be clouded by a thin plasma screen, stealing the zest out of children’s lives.
Technology is instilling laziness. Playgrounds seem to be void of children playing and driveways lack hopscotch chalk markings. Why are parents letting their kids be raised by technology?
Children are the face of tomorrow. I want the future to be filled with bright energetic people who don’t depend on technology to get through life. Just a reminder, the world keeps spinning even when Facebook is down. When I’m 70, I don’t want to depend on the politics of someone raised without any imagination or creativity.
