The Velt

Here's an open letter I wrote for a class that targets PARENTS

Dear Parents:

Do you remember your childhood? When you use to play from dawn to dusk, digging in the sand, running around on the playground, getting covered in dirt and into fights with other children? The streets were filled with kids playing street hockey and soccer. Girls played with their dolls in their front yards. This was the childhood of the past.

Granted, everyone's childhood is respectively different, the childhoods of today are nothing compared to yesteryear. Kids no longer play outside but are rather stuck inside in front of the TV and computer. They live in artificial worlds. They lack social skills, conflict resolution and physical activity.

And whose fault if this? Who should we blame? It's you, the parents of today.

You teach your children that it is okay to sit inside all day. They are more interested in living indoors than riding a bike. You teach them that it's okay to sit on the couch. No wonder many children are considered obese.

You teach them to live in fear of the outdoors. "If you go outside bobby, someone will snatch you from our front yard!" Teaching them to live in fear is only destroying their self esteem and I think crippling them for life.

I am really concerned how these new generation children, when they are in early adulthood will adapt to society.

They lack imagination and motivation, though they will surpass every other generation in their knowledge of technology. For they don't know a world that didn't have a computer in it. All they know is Iphones, text messages and instant communication.

They are the most plagued generation with peanut and food coloring allergies. They have many illnesses like autism, ADD, ADHD. In the past, if a child was "hyper active", we sent them outdoors to play and interact with others.

So parents, I think we owe are children more than a life indoors. Let's get them outside; out moving and socializing with their peers. Let them breathe in some fresh air and get their hands dirty. That's real life. Not playing video games or letting a TV act as a babysitter.

(Side note: This fear of losing childhood is not new. In Ray Bradbury's short story The Velt he wrote about a family who allowed a house to babysit the children. In the end embracing technology was their demise.)