Unplugging the kids?

Hugh McNally, from Street Play sent me a link to this article by Ana Veviana-Saurez of the Miami Herald. The article begins:

"The street is empty. Even on a balmy winter weekend, exquisite in the way only South Florida days can be at this time of year, the children are nowhere to be seen. There are no bikes, no scooters, no skates, no balls and gloves and pads, none of the toys I've long associated with the first weeks of a beginning year."

"But don't blame the kiddies...."

This article isn't just one of those "where are the games of yesteryear" laments. It is an astute observation of a fundamental change that has gone deep into childhood and the very roots of society. She continues:

"Post-Christmas playtime isn't what it used to be. The change, of course, didn't happen overnight. Playtime's move indoors was gradual and maybe, at least initially, imperceptible. But it was also as steady as the spread of kudzu, and now our children are about to become, if they're not already, the generation of muscular thumbs.

"Tree climbing? Who does that anymore? Hide-and-seek? I can't remember the last time I saw children play what was an all-time favorite game for me when all the cousins got together. Hopscotch, jump rope and stickball -- I suppose these have gone the way of eight-tracks and black-and-white TV shows.

"U.S. factory sales of consumer electronics rose to $125.9 billion, an 11 percent increase over 2004, and while this figure includes much more than stuff for children, it remains a good indication of where we're headed. More and more kids want scaled-down versions of adult cell phones, video cameras and digital cameras.

"No doubt this has the potential to send parents into paroxysms of worry, and for good reason. Hours in front of the screen mean less time in social interaction. Pushing buttons on a control translates into fewer push-ups and exercises. And constant visual stimulation -- well, that can only exacerbate our already short attention spans...."

I especially liked her conclusion:

"Toys reflect the culture, and we are a juiced-up society that can't unplug itself. We've forgotten how to be quiet. We don't know what it's like to be bored. We hate to be away from the constant stimulus that promises to keep us connected 24-7.

"And in the end it's that loss, that inability to be alone with ourselves, that should concern us most."