I’ve been watching an old show on Hulu lately called Glee and am absolutely loving it. Not just for the singing and the hilarious characters but for the fact that it’s “old-school.” Like, literally. It’s set in the days when there were no cell phones. Not one kid at that high school has a cell phone.
It’s so refreshing to watch! The kids actually interact with one another face-to-face or on their home phones. No distractions, no rudeness, just…normal. Like the good old days.
We didn’t have cell phones when I was growing up (80’s and 90’s). I didn’t get a cell phone until I was (I think) twenty-one. And it was a tiny flip phone. (I loved that little flip phone.)
Guess what? I was better off for it! Growing up, we kids played OUTSIDE. Oh sure, when Nintendo came out, I had one of those, but I also had balance. I loved playing outside. I loved (even more) reading, so I wasn’t on the Nintendo too much. Even rainy days would be spent reading or playing make-believe and very little Nintendo. Snowy days? Well, we’d be outside sledding or making snow forts until we were frozen, then hurry inside for a snack and hot chocolate, then rush right back outside until it got dark.
Those. Were. The. Days.
You don’t see that with most kids today. There’s no balance with electronics for most kids. Many parents have an easy out with the television and hand-held electronics. Don’t have to worry about the kid getting bored or the parents having to play with them or read to them. Nope. The sitter is an electronic device.
My husband and I love walking on a beautiful trail that lines the Little Falls Canal, about ten minutes from where we live. Before Covid, we wouldn’t see many kids on that trail, especially when the weather got cooler or—Heaven forbid—it was snowing! But after Covid hit and families were tired of being cooped up together, we saw more families on that trail than we ever had. Actual families were walking and having picnics down there!! It was so refreshing.
Am I against technology? Of course not. But there has to be a line drawn. There must be balance. Otherwise, I fear what our future looks like. “Our future” meaning kids who can barely pull their eyes from their devices or can’t engage in proper conversation. Yikes!
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Something that bothers me is when you’re shipping and see an infant/toddler with a screen in their face so mommy/daddy can shop “in peace”. Not once did I ever do that with mine. She also didn’t get something every time we went to the store nor did she throw fits when I said no to something. People need to do better.
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