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What happened to being a kid?; loosing childhood.......
Topic Started: Dec 19 2006, 06:00 PM (1,677 Views)
Killer Bee
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I remember growing up. Being a kid meant playing outside from early morning until after dark, comming inside only to eat or gather something up to take back outside. What has happened to that? There are numerous kids in the neighborhood where my wife and I live, but during the summer the streets and backyards are empty. Are we to blame for children not having an imagination anymore? When I was growing up I remember playing with Hot Wheels, Transformers, GI Joe's, and any other toy outside and being creative or using my imagination. Now, kids can sit inside and have their Xbox 360 or PS3 be creative for them. I'm not against the game platforms or computers and the internet, but there comes a point in time where using your imagination should be as important as holding a controller. It's scary, the reason I feel it's scary is maybe through the lack of creativity humanity is going to end up a boring unimaginative society where the only imagination used is on a CD ROM being piped directly into your brain and with no variance. Sounds boring doesn't it? I hope someone else can see this and maybe feels like I do. Any thoughts or comments?
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Gri3vous
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Being a kid is so old fashion and to childish. :D
"philosophy is like scientific masturbation... it's enjoyable, sure, but it can't yield a real, tangible outcome and in the end it's not all that satisfying..."-Darth Stumpy

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piercehawkeye45
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There is a big age difference between us Killer and I can relate to you in some ways and can't in others.

I was lucky enough to have three good friends that lived less than a quarter mile away so I always had something to do. During the summers, we would hang out with eachother every single day until our parents made us came home and do the exact process again the next.

Since we were with eachother so much we always varied what we did. We did play video games but we never played more than three hours a day and when you are with them for over eight a day, that doesn't add up to much.

All the other times we would be outside beating the living shit out of eachother or inviting other friends over to beat the living shit out of them. We would always play football, basketball, or baseball at least once a day and sometimes more then at night we would play night games then go around our neighborhood vandalizing and being normal middle school dilenqents.

Our only means of transportation were our bikes and we would use them to get everywhere (the city where I lived was about five miles away so we would trek there every once in a while).


Now that I look at it, I can see another means except for the overuse of video and computer games. Parents play a huge role in childhood involvment. My parents didn't care that we would play tackle football in our backyard but some other parents did, those children became ostracized from the group and would have less friends to choose from and if they did do something, it would be more likely it would be inside.

The other reason is parent paranoia. I noticed this a little bit in my father, he would make me ride my bike with a light on it, and wanted me home by a certain time and would make me call if I was going to be late. This is healthy for a parent for obvious reasons, but when you past that and reach true paranoia where you believe if you let your kids out of your sight for a second, they will either get hurt or in trouble, that is when your kids will start to suffer. I am actually for a semi-strict parent because it allows the kids to feel out rules and feels the consquences of breaking them without it going overboard.

Doing this severly restricts what children can do because on a level of fun when it came to football was this: 1) tackle football, 2) Madden or videogame football, 3)Flag or touch football. If a parent takes out the first option the kids will go to the second and play videogames.

Another reason I see is that you can play videogames with eachother over the internet. Why would you invite someone over to play videogames and can only have one person play at a time when you can both play at your houses and talk to eachother through a microphone? Then if you both stay at home, you take away the option of doing something outside.

I can't tell you how I see children playing today but I am not suprised that they are going outside less and less. I was in the age group where more than just the geeks started to revolve their whole life around video games, which was only 5-10 years ago. Along with parents becoming more stricter and easier connection to friends without leaving the house, children will start to live their lives inside.


Now to creativity. There are a few games that could help a child become more creative or help problem solving, Zelda: The Orcina of Time for example, but not many. My friends and I made up a lot of different games because if we got bored of one, we would just make one up or put variations on a previously existing one. I can't say how the aftereffects of not forcing a child to be creative will be, but I think it will lead to MORE MTV watching, brainwashed Americans because they will not have practiced thinking enough to be able to see past all the bs in the world.
Dropped the atomic bomb let them know that it's real
Speak soft with a big stick do what I say or be killed
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Killer Bee
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piercehawkeye45
Dec 19 2006, 06:36 PM
There is a big age difference between us Killer and I can relate to you in some ways and can't in others.

I was lucky enough to have three good friends that lived less than a quarter mile away so I always had something to do. During the summers, we would hang out with eachother every single day until our parents made us came home and do the exact process again the next.

Since we were with eachother so much we always varied what we did. We did play video games but we never played more than three hours a day and when you are with them for over eight a day, that doesn't add up to much.

All the other times we would be outside beating the living shit out of eachother or inviting other friends over to beat the living shit out of them. We would always play football, basketball, or baseball at least once a day and sometimes more then at night we would play night games then go around our neighborhood vandalizing and being normal middle school dilenqents.

Our only means of transportation were our bikes and we would use them to get everywhere (the city where I lived was about five miles away so we would trek there every once in a while).


Now that I look at it, I can see another means except for the overuse of video and computer games. Parents play a huge role in childhood involvment. My parents didn't care that we would play tackle football in our backyard but some other parents did, those children became ostracized from the group and would have less friends to choose from and if they did do something, it would be more likely it would be inside.

The other reason is parent paranoia. I noticed this a little bit in my father, he would make me ride my bike with a light on it, and wanted me home by a certain time and would make me call if I was going to be late. This is healthy for a parent for obvious reasons, but when you past that and reach true paranoia where you believe if you let your kids out of your sight for a second, they will either get hurt or in trouble, that is when your kids will start to suffer. I am actually for a semi-strict parent because it allows the kids to feel out rules and feels the consquences of breaking them without it going overboard.

Doing this severly restricts what children can do because on a level of fun when it came to football was this: 1) tackle football, 2) Madden or videogame football, 3)Flag or touch football. If a parent takes out the first option the kids will go to the second and play videogames.

Another reason I see is that you can play videogames with eachother over the internet. Why would you invite someone over to play videogames and can only have one person play at a time when you can both play at your houses and talk to eachother through a microphone? Then if you both stay at home, you take away the option of doing something outside.

I can't tell you how I see children playing today but I am not suprised that they are going outside less and less. I was in the age group where more than just the geeks started to revolve their whole life around video games, which was only 5-10 years ago. Along with parents becoming more stricter and easier connection to friends without leaving the house, children will start to live their lives inside.


Now to creativity. There are a few games that could help a child become more creative or help problem solving, Zelda: The Orcina of Time for example, but not many. My friends and I made up a lot of different games because if we got bored of one, we would just make one up or put variations on a previously existing one. I can't say how the aftereffects of not forcing a child to be creative will be, but I think it will lead to MORE MTV watching, brainwashed Americans because they will not have practiced thinking enough to be able to see past all the bs in the world.

Pierce, that was an excellant post. You said things that I thought almost to a tee. I also remember the only transportation was my bike, and my friends and I would make trails through the woods and attempt to kill ourselves by jumping and doing tricks. Very good memories. I do agree with you that if it continues down the path we're on MTV will stupify more youths and we'll be knee-deep in BS.
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DirkNL
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Killer Bee
Dec 19 2006, 07:00 PM
I remember growing up. Being a kid meant playing outside from early morning until after dark, comming inside only to eat or gather something up to take back outside. What has happened to that? There are numerous kids in the neighborhood where my wife and I live, but during the summer the streets and backyards are empty. Are we to blame for children not having an imagination anymore? When I was growing up I remember playing with Hot Wheels, Transformers, GI Joe's, and any other toy outside and being creative or using my imagination. Now, kids can sit inside and have their Xbox 360 or PS3 be creative for them. I'm not against the game platforms or computers and the internet, but there comes a point in time where using your imagination should be as important as holding a controller. It's scary, the reason I feel it's scary is maybe through the lack of creativity humanity is going to end up a boring unimaginative society where the only imagination used is on a CD ROM being piped directly into your brain and with no variance. Sounds boring doesn't it? I hope someone else can see this and maybe feels like I do. Any thoughts or comments?

Those times are over now. I'm probably one of the youngest on the board who actually remembers NOT playing a console all day long (I have a life, and just to let you know I'm from 1992.) Even though I didn't play outside for all the time (shitty weather), I did more than the kids (considering kids people from 7 to 11 years old) of today.

-Dirk

P.S, even though I don't get outside as much as I did before because of school, at least I still have an imagination.
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Dizzarth Stumpy
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Killer Bee
Dec 19 2006, 10:00 AM
I remember growing up. Being a kid meant playing outside from early morning until after dark, comming inside only to eat or gather something up to take back outside. What has happened to that?

it's funny, i'm only 19 and that's exactly how my childhood was... things change damn fast, eh?
STUMPY WAS RIGHT. HIS TOUCHING SOLILOQUY HAS MOVED ME, TRULY A MANIPULATOR OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. I HAVE ALLOWED HIM USAGE OF HIS PREVIOUS ACCOUNT.
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Killer Bee
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Darth Stumpy
Dec 19 2006, 07:48 PM
Killer Bee
Dec 19 2006, 10:00 AM
I remember growing up.  Being a kid meant playing outside from early morning until after dark, comming inside only to eat or gather something up to take back outside.  What has happened to that?

it's funny, i'm only 19 and that's exactly how my childhood was... things change damn fast, eh?

Maybe where I'm at is different, I can't say how it is everywhere. I do know from what I'm seeing is kids just don't have the desire to go outside and be kids anymore. When I watched my nieces last summer it was a damn war to get them away from the TV and go outside. When I was their age, I didn't have to be asked twice I would be gone.
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Dizzarth Stumpy
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Killer Bee
Dec 19 2006, 12:26 PM
Maybe where I'm at is different, I can't say how it is everywhere. I do know from what I'm seeing is kids just don't have the desire to go outside and be kids anymore. When I watched my nieces last summer it was a damn war to get them away from the TV and go outside. When I was their age, I didn't have to be asked twice I would be gone.

eh, the way you're describing is exactly what it's like around here... hell, things change so fast i find myself saying "kids these days..." a lot more often that i thought i would before reaching 20...
STUMPY WAS RIGHT. HIS TOUCHING SOLILOQUY HAS MOVED ME, TRULY A MANIPULATOR OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. I HAVE ALLOWED HIM USAGE OF HIS PREVIOUS ACCOUNT.
EHRHRHRHRNGGHH
LC is the best and brought back my embarassing sex tapes.
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Killer Bee
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Darth Stumpy
Dec 19 2006, 08:41 PM
Killer Bee
Dec 19 2006, 12:26 PM
Maybe where I'm at is different, I can't say how it is everywhere.  I do know from what I'm seeing is kids just don't have the desire to go outside and be kids anymore.  When I watched my nieces last summer it was a damn war to get them away from the TV and go outside.  When I was their age, I didn't have to be asked twice I would be gone. 

eh, the way you're describing is exactly what it's like around here... hell, things change so fast i find myself saying "kids these days..." a lot more often that i thought i would before reaching 20...

Wait until you start pushing 30.........
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piercehawkeye45
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Does anyone have a good idea what middle schoolers (age 12-14) do in their free time anymore?

Darth, we would have been in the same grade (graduated last year) and I have too caught myself saying "kids these days...."
Dropped the atomic bomb let them know that it's real
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I have found the enemy and he is us.
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Tom Joad
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Where I live it is pretty much the same now as it was when I was younger as far as I can tell.

I had a bitchy old babysitter who always kicked us out of the house and made us play outside, so I played all sorts of retarded stuff.

Do kids still play with Legos, because I loved the shit out of those things?
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NeoAegis
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As far as I'm aware, kids do still play with legos. However, there are games that are fairly imaginative and stimulating, though they may be few and far between. I love The Incredible Machine.

I was one of those kids that stay inside with a console. However, do remember that I'm not American... I had no backyard (or frontyard) to speak of. I lived in a city, and my friends lived also fairly far away, therefore I had no way to meet up with them frequently. Both of my parents worked, so I spent most of the day by my lonesome.

Not that I regret anything.
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Tom Joad
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NeoAegis
Dec 19 2006, 04:48 PM
Not that I regret anything.

Bush's motto.
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NeoAegis
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Tom Joad
Dec 19 2006, 07:26 PM
NeoAegis
Dec 19 2006, 04:48 PM
Not that I regret anything.

Bush's motto.

That should be a moddable offense, Chode. Comparing someone to Bush.
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