Childhood

Childhood. A word that immediately brings up bright pictures of children running around in the playground, chasing butterflies in big plain fields and behaving like monkeys around parks. Or is it? Childhood now brings up books, school and video games. Whatever happened to the time where children climbed around in trees, flew hand-made kites and caught spiders in match boxes? That was childhood in the past generation. Now, children stop having all these experiences, where they attend school for long hours everyday, when they reach home, spend long hours doing homework and when it is the weekends, spend long hours playing video games. The outdoor fun-filled activities that are experienced everyday have evolved to the stressful and fast-paced lifestyle now. Why are more and more children experiencing the stress and have to combat the rapid advancement of myopia among the children now?

First, let us talk about the education system. School begins early in the morning, a time where students are not awake enough to even be sure where they are. Then begins the lessons. lessons carry on for another 6 hours, where only a very small portion of it is recess. Fine, after school ends, where children are looking forward towards a rest for the other half of the day, then the teacher gives a massive pile of homework. Why? I thought we just spent a whole day at school? Anyways, the children that time only need spend 1-2 hours doing their homework. The rest of their time is spent playing with their neighbours and having valuable bonding time with their family. Children now are cooped up at home after school trying to finish their homework. Children then sleep late at night due to homework or maybe they just want to unwind after finishing their pile of homework. When weekends arrive, children are gripped by the hungry claws of more weekend homework. In any case, children are still buried under academics where they have lost their child spirit where mostly, they worry for the fact that they might be haunted by failed tests. Thus, children fail to experience the joy and laughters that children of the past generation cherish so much.

Next, technology is also a factor. With the rapid development of new technology and gaming consoles, most children now don't care about outdoor activities anymore, all they think of is leveling up their personally customized online avatars. Occasionally, they might come out for a game of soccer or two and then, it's back home for more mindless staring at the screen. Spiders now need not live in the constant fear of dying a slow death in a match-box or plastic bottle. Such practices are unhealthy but it seems the only alternative for modern day kids as people now are lazier and less willing to expose themselves in the sun when they can enjoy themselves in the comfort of their homes. As our world becomes more 'screeny' more and more kids are also suffering from myopia. Such is rare among children of that generation.

Hence, I feel that childhood has changed a lot through the years. I wonder when will be the next time where children would catch spiders, climb tress and play harmless pranks again.