16 replies to this topic

[CiniMen]

Child comes home, flips on the flips on the tv. Toasts the waffle, spreads the peanut butter with a grim face. Ready for some 'fun.' But this isn't the fun that you and I know and have come to love.
I remember when fun used to be playing in the park, building a castle out of my sister's leftover girl scout cookie boxes. But not anymore, that is boring, a waste of time. I remember when being creative was fun thing to do.
Why is it, that when a child of today is asked whether they would like to game, they remark, 'Sure, what site?' Why is it, that when a child of today is asked what they want for dinner they say 'Nah, I already ate.'
I remember when it wasn't an option to eat dinner. 'You gunna eat what yo' mama gives ya!' But not anymore, you eat when you want, where you want.
I'm here to tell you that if this is what they're doing. What is going to happen to future America?? I am adressing this because THEY are future America. The only way to help them do what's right, is to tell them now. We are already too late.

So to help the future, we have to change the definition of 'fun.'

[t3jem]

I'm a little confused as to how the definition of fun affects how the children of today are going to be leaders of tomarrow, I am of course afraid of the future because of the way chilren today are raised and act; however, it's not because they think the computer is more fun than boxes, it's because they all seem to ignore the laws and make really unwise decisions. The difference between your generation and the generation of today is the time, the american culture has changed due to technology and many families don't have sit-down dinners with their families anymore, it's just the way it is, not good, not bad, just the way it is.

[kapuk99]

I'm sorry to hear that! But I'm the youngest in my ring of siblings, and we never, ever, would think about eating dinner away from the family! And I barely play online games! Hey, but you can challenge them to a card game, and maybe your kids will get hooked! You can bring cards anywhere!

[SkyStormKuja]

I beg to differ. I feel that there is nothing wrong with children having fun on a computer. You are now judging their fun with your fun. But you lived in a age (or I am assuming so, if not, let's assume that's what you mean by box castles) where computers didn't play such a big role yet. Thus, there were many other things to occupy the minds of the young ones in that time.

But, this generation is still not like that. I know many people that isn't really a box-castle building type, and who plays online games. But that doesn't mean they don't have manners. That doesn't mean they aren't having fun. In fact, what you are insinuating is that they aren't having your type of fun. And that is a biased and unsubjective conclusion.

Granted, young people of today, even down to eight and nine-year olds, have computers to occupy them. But that doesn't mean its wrong. Just because they don't build castles out of boxes, doesn't make their version of "fun", less fun in their eyes.

Thus your last statement is invalid. I feel it is wrong to assume them to become "bad people" or whatever it is they are supposedly going to become because of the way they enjoy themselves. This seems more like the opinion of an older generation that cannot accept change.

[Joshua]

CiniMen, on Feb 25 2008, 04:41 PM, said:

Child comes home, flips on the flips on the tv. Toasts the waffle, spreads the peanut butter with a grim face. Ready for some 'fun.' But this isn't the fun that you and I know and have come to love.
I remember when fun used to be playing in the park, building a castle out of my sister's leftover girl scout cookie boxes. But not anymore, that is boring, a waste of time. I remember when being creative was fun thing to do.
Why is it, that when a child of today is asked whether they would like to game, they remark, 'Sure, what site?' Why is it, that when a child of today is asked what they want for dinner they say 'Nah, I already ate.'
I remember when it wasn't an option to eat dinner. 'You gunna eat what yo' mama gives ya!' But not anymore, you eat when you want, where you want.
I'm here to tell you that if this is what they're doing. What is going to happen to future America?? I am adressing this because THEY are future America. The only way to help them do what's right, is to tell them now. We are already too late.

So to help the future, we have to change the definition of 'fun.'

I don't think it's so much that the activities aren't fun for kids anymore... as that they're unavailable and kids don't grow up realizing they're fun. P.E. is being eliminated from public schools as we speak because all the education system cares about anymore is their precious test scores. Educators are cramming kids with homework to turn them into hard-working automatons by elementary school, and giving them workloads your parents would have flinched at if not run away crying from.

As a result of being worked like their parents, and pressured to get jobs to get ahead in the real world when not busy with school, kids are coming home absolutely exhausted and drained. They don't have the energy for sports, especially since they don't grow up with the physical activities their parents did. It's easier to get their fun from video games and the computer, which don't require physical energy.

What's more, take a look at the baseball fields in your city. Yeah, there's a lot of them, but they're only open to organized teams. Try to find one open in the spring or summer that's not chalked up for someone to play on. The only sports recognized now seem to be the organized team ones, and kids just aren't given room to play anymore. There aren't the vacant lots or unused baseball fields for them to use. And if lots are vacant, you can be sure owners have up "No Trespassing" signs and lawyers all too happy to sue kids and their families.

The team sports are as regimented and time consuming as any school activity. Kids can't just have fun anymore, it has to be structured, organized to a "T" fun.

It's not the kids that are failing America. It's America that's failing the kids.

[thorne]

I think that, while there are different forms of "fun," some are, without a doubt, more creative than others. And I believe that these more active, creative pursuits in many ways are more worthwhile than passive entertainment. That doesn't mean that the computer can't be a method of active fun...many creative works could never have been born without a computer. But, for instance, watching trashy TV shows on the internet is probably not good for the mind. And it seems like people are more and more prone to this type of entertainment. I know that I've noticed in myself that when I choose to entertain myself by something creative which requires me to think, like working on one of my novels or programming a website, I feel better, both in during the process and afterward when I have something to show for the time I spent. When I choose to do something passive that lets my mind "mush," I feel empty and uninspired afterward. It's so much easier to pursue the latter form of entertainment, especially with current technology, and it may seem like it will be more fun, but in the end it doesn't seem to be worth much.

I agree that kids are being stressed out way too much. And I think that's probably part of why they don't choose active entertainment much; if you've spent you're whole day working, working, working; why would you want to "work" more in your free time? But active entertainment isn't work once you get into the flow. It just takes work getting there. But it is worth it.

[berryblitz]

I would suggest, kids love computer games so much, and kids love to learn musical instruments too. Ask your child if he wants to learn to play the piano, or the guitar, or maybe the violin.

Kids love to learn even one musical instrument to show off (that's why they would love to learn how to play a musical instrument), and because they are curious. And it boosts their self-confidence.

But of course, there would still be some kids that would really stick to the computer monitor for games whatever happens/you offer.

[kittycatlover763]

i agree with berry.
when i was young i used to love music.
music was always in style. music was fun.
until i got into junior high. everyone quitted, except those loyal to music.

since children/tweens these day what's fun is whats "hip" we would need to reimburse things that are fun and hip.
furthermore, if we had popular celebrities make a stand on education and being active, then we would have less problems with the education (i suppose the problems would be minor though )

musicians these days have bad examples in the lyrics. like getting drunk , getting boners , and all that stuff.
also one time i decided what kind of shows air on nickelodeon and disney channel and i wouldn't approve them as "child friendly"

they also show bad examples like hannah montana going somewhere without telling her dad. kids on these shows treating there parents like slavedogs, and little 12 year olds kissing each other.

so in order to make our children's "fun" more content to ourselves we need to take a little bit more control.
advice: DONT LET YOUR CHILDREN CONTROL YOU.

Start teaching them right as soon as day 1. be careful who they hang out with, and all of that. even more , try looking into the school you have enrolled your child into and see how the kids are like they're.

we do have to change them now. i think if maybe someone of very high authority *cough*president*cough* could do something about education and making it funner, more secure, and creative our children would have a much more better understanding to why they must stay in school. and by making it creative and "fun" they will want to learn too.

i don't think the president is even giving a good example to the future of america. he's wasting billions of dollars on un-employed people. this made one of my young cousins believe he can be unemployed when he's older and get free money.

[sheepdog]

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This seems more like the opinion of an older generation that cannot accept change.

As a member of this older generation, lets consider this change you speak of. Change is not always for the good.
We are seeing more and more children of very young age in never before heard of numbers suffering from health problems, the biggest being obesity. Sitting at a desk in school all day, then sitting at a desk playing computer games all night I will pretty much guarantee you is the culpret behind this modern day problem. When I was a kid the first thing I wanted to do was GO OUTSIDE and play. Having been cooped up all day in the school building was a suffocating experience and I could not of handled the thought of going home and sitting even longer at a desk. Kids played with each other, in parks or even in their own yards, or rode their bikes in the streets if they were in the city, or the country kids had pastures, fields and woods to play in. If there weren't many other children around out in the country, at least country kids had a dog to play with or a horse to ride. Perhaps even a cow or sheep or goat to work with to show in 4H club.

When you are a child, remember, fun is also usually a learning experience. While you may learn about a computer the world is not made up of computers. When you sit at a computer all the time you do not learn how to deal with the natural world. Computers are made of plastic and circuts. When you press a button you know what the result will be. It's totally mechanical and predictable. But how are you going to learn to deal with the unpredictable? Interacting with people and animals are the only way a great many of life's lessons can be learned. The world is made up of people that you are going to have to learn to interact with as you grow up. No computer is going to teach you that.

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It's not the kids that are failing America. It's America that's failing the kids.

I love this statement.
I still hold the old fashion belief that it is the responsibility of the parents to raise the children. But the way it works today, parents have little or no control of their children. As someone else pointed out, far too many of our childrens activities are scheduled, programed, and totally controlled. There is no space for spontainious play. The schools overload the children with "homework" which I believe is a complete infringement on the parents rights, it cuts out any time the parents have to give instructions of what they believe is important for their children to learn. And the general bleeding heart do gooders have made it so a parent has no way to control or deal with bad behaviour in their children. How are children going to learn respect or responsibility if they are allowed to do whatever they wnt, when ever they want with no reprocussiong for bad behaviour?

We are raising a generation that are slaves to a little plastic box. It won't be hard for us to loose the liberties and freedoms we have enjoyed for generations if this trend continues.

[jlhaslip]

I'm with Sheepdog on this one. Kids need to have the option to be outside horsing around.
When I was a youth, (quite some time ago), we were lucky enough to have a baseball field and playground across the road and spent countless hours there on the swings, slides, etc. Or playing baseball, tag, golf in the field. Always seemed to be a collection of kids there except when it was raining.
And beside our house was a 40 acre woodlot which was quite a place to go to as we got old enough. Bike trails, forts, hiking places to go and play.
This was before the computer age, of course, so staying inside was something you did on aforementioned rainy days, and after supper until your homework was finished. (yeah, right!)
The last time I was 'home', the 40 acre woodlot is now an Industrial park with buildings and warehouses. Even paved streets in place of the paths we had made. Kids in the neighbourhood do not have that as an option any more. And the Ballpark is fenced. The park playground is no longer there because some kid's parents sued the Town over an injury received while playing on the swings, so where do kids go to play?
I don't live in the States, but the lifestyle issues are the same here now. Kids need to be kids, running rampant through the fields instead of running the latest Playstation, or Wii... just my opinion.