When we were kids... And the kids of today!

When we were kids, we loved ice creams and chocolates!!When we were kids, playing meant games like "running race", "lock and key", "stop-party", "badminton", etc!Today's kids want pizzas and burgers! Today's kids, when speak of playing, mean video games, mobile phones, laptop and PSP!! 

There's not even a gap of a generation.. just a few years! So, what has changed?

Man has been evolving continuously since times immemorial. Every generation that takes birth is more intelligent and smarter than the previous one. And by saying 'smarter', I literally mean smarter! Yes, children today are much smarter than we were at their age. Today, every school going kid I meet has a mobile phone in hand. (I know school-going children are no longer kids, but they always remain so for us since we were treated like kids when we were their age). Many times, while travelling in train, I have observed- kids literally snatch cell phones from their moms and play games on them, listen to music and what not! I recall when I was in school, I don't exactly remember in which standard I was, my dad had got a new cell phone and I was  afraid to even touch it! But today's kids know operating all types of phones, in fact, most of them have a smartphone in hand by the time they enter secondary school. I am not at all critical of having technical knowledge from a young age, but to what extent? Is this making our kids smarter than required? Is it stealing their innocence?

Technology, today, rules over us! We get home machines and gadgets, we have computers and we have internet- all to make our work easy! But are we slowly becoming slaves to these? Most parents today work so that they can give their child the best lifestyle- the luxuries that they couldn't get in their childhood! But, how many children are aware what compromises their parents make to get them every bit of happiness? We gift our children with latest, cool and fashionable mobile phones, we permit using Facebook and Twitter, we allow night outs with friends and what not? In an attempt to give happiness to our kids, are we spoiling them?

Yes, I have observed so many children, specially in their teenage, due to an over influence of internet or TV shows and peer pressure, falling prey to unwanted stuff- stuff that isn't right for their age! I completely understand teenage (I have been through it too) but what they have today was not accessible to us then! Today, children watch TV, and for most parents go to work, children are alone at home and there's no way we can make out what they watch. Children go out to play; but do they really play? What do they do? Most of us don't know! They have Whatsapp and Facebook, but whom do they chat with? Yes, this definitely spoils children- I have seen so many school-going kids having girlfriends and boyfriends, and I feel like "I didn't know a girl and a boy can be something more than friends" at their age!

The access to latest technologies, TV, social media has influenced children immensely today- most children have grown up above their age and have lost their innocence!

For parents- Please make sure you do not

fulfill each and every unnecessary wish of your child! Be updated about where your child goes, whom he/she talks to or who are his/her friends. The world is not that a good place today and we definitely do not want our children to fall prey to any unwanted and unethical stuff!