Asumption: if you do electronics, you aren't active?

[LisaR]

I see this assumption suggested, hinted at, or flat out said all the time on this board. Why is it assumed by some that if a kid has a cell phone and/or Facebook or plays video games, they do not play outside or do other normal kid things?

When I have gotten together with friends my age, we have talked about the TV shows we used to watch. I never thought I watched much TV at all but when we start naming off the shows (Green Acres, Petticoat Junction, Gilligan's Island, Happy days, etc) I find that I watched them all and so did my friends. We didn't miss any of those episodes but we were still considered "normal." Why is it assumed that if a kid sends 100 or even 500 texts a day that they can't possibly be doing anything else? It takes about 3 seconds for a teen to send a text. Why does that automatically mean they don't play tag, go to the mall, swim, etc. according to some of you? This doesn't add up.

Have things changed over the years? Of course. This is the technology age and it is part of this generation. I really wish some of you would get off your high horse when you point out how active your kid is simply because they don't have texting. Are they playing tag by themselves? I will assume so since you claim that everyone else has texting and you continually point out that they can't do both.

Maybe I am just having a bad day but I have read this assumption in three different threads today and it is really getting old. Do people really think this way?

 

[FireDancer]

It is a matter of degree I think. We had video game counsels growing up but we weren't allowed to sit in front of them all day. I'm absolutely sure we weren't the only kids with that rule and I'm sure there are plenty today who have the same rule. But I'm also sure there are a lot of kids that do sit around all day and play video games or read or do some other sedentary activity and don't get any physical activity and that is just not healthy.

You hear people all the time brag about how their kids will read 3, 5, 10, however many books a week in the summer and while just fine and dandy if that is all they are doing it is not good. Again, I'm sure there are kids who do read that much and still play sports, ride their bikes, and run around with their friends but I'm also sure there are plenty who get very little physical activity other then leaving their chair to go to the fridge.

I would also suggest the current childhood obesity epidemic has a lot to do with lack of activity and not diet alone so it isn't an imaginary problem by any means.

Now, I do agree that assuming texting equates to lack of activity is a bit odd. I also don't think you have to ban all TV and have no computer or television to be active. It doesn't have to be all of one thing or all of another. I also don't see how Facebook has anything to do with it. There are professional athletes with Facebook accounts. You can use technology and be active.

 

[LisaR]

Fire Dancer,
I am not suggesting that there aren't any kids in this world that aren't sitting around and endlessly playing video games. However, the assumption that "my kid doesn't text" = "my kid plays like a real kid should play" is ludicrous.

You can send multiple text messages a day and still be active just like you can post on The Dis and not be a couch potato.

 

[FireDancer]

Fire Dancer,
I am not suggesting that there aren't any kids in this world that aren't sitting around and endlessly playing video games. However, the assumption that "my kid doesn't text" = "my kid plays like a real kid should play" is ludicrous.

You can send multiple text messages a day and still be active just like you can post on The Dis and not be a couch potato.

True. I think there are very few (and even less sane) people that would jump to that conclusion though.

I think it is usually a justification for why they don't let their kids have those things like they have to have some greater purpose. If you don't let your kid get a phone until they can buy it themselves (and sign the contract) fine, actually it makes a lot of sense on some level, but don't pretend it is about being active.

 

[kaytieeldr]

It is a matter of degree I think. We had video game counsels growing up but we weren't allowed to sit in front of them all day.

We didn't even have them, really. Oh, there was Pong or something, and the Commodore 64? But that was 'fun' for about fifteen minutes. And while we had television, as FireDancer points out, we weren't allowed to spend the day in front of it. It was normal for kids to be out of the house for a large part of the day - WITHOUT electronics. We played with each other. We rode bikes. Now, even if kids are together, they're texting... sometimes each other !

 

[kwelch10377]

There are a lot of assumptions on this board that I don't get where people get them from.

I would think that by a kid texting a lot it meant that they have a lot of friends to go out an be active with, but I would be assuming that and you know what happens when you assume things.

 

[C.Ann]

I would also suggest the current childhood obesity epidemic has a lot to do with lack of activity and not diet alone so it isn't an imaginary problem by any means.

Now, I do agree that assuming texting equates to lack of activity is a bit odd. I also don't think you have to ban all TV and have no computer or television to be active. It doesn't have to be all of one thing or all of another.

I think the OP is referring to a post I made a short while ago - and I probably could have made it less inclusive as opposed to sweeping..

However, with childhood obesity being the highest it has ever been - as well as children developing high blood pressure and heart disease before they even reach their teens - the medical community will adamantly point at two very specific reasons: lack of physical activity and/or poor diet..

Also, I was not "riding a high horse" when I made those comments in regards to my DGD.. I was simply pointing out that children can (and do) lead very happy lives, are able to maintain friendships, and enjoy their childhoods while they're still young without all the gizmoz and gadgets.. It's a two-way street on these boards.. You will also find the parents who insist that your children will be social misfits; never be included in anything from going to a movie to staying connected with their schools; and live a lonely, miserable, dismal life if they don't stay connected and entertained via technology..

I'm sure there will come a time when DGD engages in some of these activities, but right now they're not a priority in her life.. She's happy, healthy, and physically fit..

My post was more of an example - of how it "can" be done - but obviously it didn't come out the way it was intended (if referring to the post about the neighborhood boys)..

I'm having a pretty bad day myself - passing the time here posting while I'm waiting for phone calls regarding two very serious situations with two different family members.. So if I offended anyone, I'm sorry..

I get as tired of hearing the "other" side - as some do of "my" side - but today is definitely not the day I should have taken on discussing this topic without taking the time to think a little harder about how it would sound..

Although the "general" idea of how I feel isn't going to change, I apologize for the way I stated my opinion..

 

[The Mystery Machine]

We didn't even have them, really. Oh, there was Pong or something, and the Commodore 64? But that was 'fun' for about fifteen minutes. And while we had television, as FireDancer points out, we weren't allowed to spend the day in front of it. It was normal for kids to be out of the house for a large part of the day - WITHOUT electronics. We played with each other. We rode bikes. Now, even if kids are together, they're texting... sometimes each other !

Um you are forgetting the "Holy Grail" here of Atari. You could play that non-stop.

I guess I was special because I could play video games and have hours of fun outside as well. In addition we played hours upon hours of board games and cards.

 

[Chelley00]

My 14 year old son sends 5,000+ texts a month, plays Xbox and has his own laptop.

He also gets mostly A's, plays competitive soccer, runs 4 miles a day with 40 lb sand bags on his back at the beginning of practice, then has a 1 1/2 hour practice. The last 2 Saturdays he spent with his "girlfriend" training her to run a mile for volleyball. His coaches are yelling at him to put on weight because he's too skinny to build muscle on


Our neighbor's son is not allowed to play video games, even at friends houses, and "he'll never have a cell phone" because they don't want him to spend all his time on it. He's alo seriously obese, and all he does is sit inside and read books and eat.


You can have the best of both worlds when it comes to exercise and technology. It's up to the parents to just make sure there's a balance.

 

[LisaR]

I think the OP is referring to a post I made a short while ago - and I probably could have made it less inclusive as opposed to sweeping..

Yes, C.Ann, your post was the one that put me over the edge but you were not alone. There are a few more out there that insinuated the same thing.

You are also right that it goes both ways. There are certainly people that overuse electronics and there are those that survive just fine without it. However, kids can still be kids and use all sorts of electronic devices.

I actually have a love/hate relationship with this stuff. I think grammar and oral communication have taken a backseat thanks to text messaging. I also think we have become a nation that lacks an edit button thanks to message boards where we can say anything we want. I hate that about modern technology. However, we all know that we aren't going to go back. Technology will only improve and it will remain part of our lives. We have to teach our children how to survive in this world with all the distractions. When your granddaughter gets a little older and jumps on the technology bandwagon, it doesn't mean she needs to become an obese couch potato that lacks social skills.

 

[FireDancer]

You can have the best of both worlds when it comes to exercise and technology. It's up to the parents to just make sure there's a balance.

Exactly!

 

[C.Ann]

Yes, C.Ann, your post was the one that put me over the edge but you were not alone. There are a few more out there that insinuated the same thing.

You are also right that it goes both ways. There are certainly people that overuse electronics and there are those that survive just fine without it. However, kids can still be kids and use all sorts of electronic devices.

I actually have a love/hate relationship with this stuff. I think grammar and oral communication have taken a backseat thanks to text messaging. I also think we have become a nation that lacks an edit button thanks to message boards where we can say anything we want. I hate that about modern technology. However, we all know that we aren't going to go back. Technology will only improve and it will remain part of our lives. We have to teach our children how to survive in this world with all the distractions. When your granddaughter gets a little older and jumps on the technology bandwagon, it doesn't mean she needs to become an obese couch potato that lacks social skills.

Again, I sincerely apologize.. I can't think clearly - I'm sitting on pins and needles - and I probably shouldn't be posting on controversial threads at all.. My anxiety over the personal family situations I'm facing today appears to be getting the best of me..

I have no worries about DGD in coming years - technology or not - but I'm very, very concerned with many of the children I'm seeing today and hearing the medical experts talk about how for the first time ever, childrens life spans will be shorter than their parents..

Putting my "high horse" out to pasture for today..

 

[kaytieeldr]

Um you are forgetting the "Holy Grail" here of Atari. You could play that non-stop.

Not in my parents' house! If there wasn't a weather-related reason, you were outside until it got dark out!

 

[brerrabbit]

Another thread about finances mentions that you can't judge the big picture with only your little view of the world and as a result you can't generalize about situations.

Well I will try my best not to generalize and just say this.

When I was a kid we had no video games, no cell phones, 5 channels on TV, and we thought the greatest fun in the world was going to the park after school to play whatever sport was in season, baseball, football, or basketball. Organized youth sports were pretty limited to Little League baseball, and Pee Wee football. By the time we got to Jr. High there were plenty of guys who could play all the sports because we had been playing sandlot games our whole lives.

Today the are select sports and kids start organized practice for select teams that play year round. They pretty much don't do any sandlot because the parents/ coaches think they could get hurt if they are not properly supervised. Parks are never used for sandlot games of anything. We as a country have a huge problem with childhood obsiety.

Now I will not generalize and say any kid that plays video games and text's a lot is inactive because there are numerous exceptions, but when looking at the big picture I would say on the whole kids are less independently active than they were when I was a kid.

 

[C.Ann]

Another thread about finances mentions that you can't judge the big picture with only your little view of the world and as a result you can't generalize about situations..

And I broke my own rule and did just that today in terms of technology and the inactivity of children..

Just not a good day for me today..

 

[Ceila]

Today the are select sports and kids start organized practice for select teams that play year round. They pretty much don't do any sandlot because the parents/ coaches think they could get hurt if they are not properly supervised. Parks are never used for sandlot games of anything. We as a country have a huge problem with childhood obsiety.

Now I will not generalize and say any kid that plays video games and text's a lot is inactive because there are numerous exceptions, but when looking at the big picture I would say on the whole kids are less independently active than they were when I was a kid.

I find it so insane that sports are so selective at such young ages. It's gotten to the point that a kid really can't start baseball in our town as "late" as second or third grade, since every other kid has been playing since pre-school. Sure, they'd get drafted onto a team (all kids at that age have to get placed somewhere), but they end up being so far behind the other kids in skill level that they quit out of frustration. And don't even get me started on the idea of a draft in elementary school.

My son started lacrosse a couple of years ago, but he's already lost interest, because he wants to play for fun and not for blood, which is what most of the other kids seem to want. I end up wishing there was a recreational league for sports for an 11 year old! It's SUPPOSED to be recreational at this age, but so many parents make it life-or-death that it sucks the fun out of it. It's fine if there are some travel leagues for kids who want to push the limits, but why do ALL the leagues end up like this?

 

[brerrabbit]

That is why I say there is no sandlot games any more. Everything has to be organized and coached from day one. No one plays for just the love of the game. Kids in baseball play on select T-ball teams starting at 5 years old. To me it's amazing and if you want the proof of having to pick a sport and stay with it, just look at the number of HS kids that actually play more than one sport. And Football and track don't count as two because in Texas everyone knows that track is just off season football training. When I was in HS we had a bunch of guys plying more than one sport. Today it happens very rarely.

 

[LisaR]

Again, I sincerely apologize.. I can't think clearly - I'm sitting on pins and needles - and I probably shouldn't be posting on controversial threads at all.. My anxiety over the personal family situations I'm facing today appears to be getting the best of me..

I have no worries about DGD in coming years - technology or not - but I'm very, very concerned with many of the children I'm seeing today and hearing the medical experts talk about how for the first time ever, childrens life spans will be shorter than their parents..

Putting my "high horse" out to pasture for today..

No worries! No apologies needed. Like I said, I read this at least three times on three different threads today and I have read the same thing in the past. Technology is in our face everyday. We have all had to learn how to make it work in our lives. I have found myself relying too much on the computer and have had to step away for awhile. It is a learning process. If a parent hands their kid a phone or computer and walks away without any restrictions or any other outlets for that child, they are creating a monster.

Another thread about finances mentions that you can't judge the big picture with only your little view of the world and as a result you can't generalize about situations.

Well I will try my best not to generalize and just say this.

When I was a kid we had no video games, no cell phones, 5 channels on TV, and we thought the greatest fun in the world was going to the park after school to play whatever sport was in season, baseball, football, or basketball. Organized youth sports were pretty limited to Little League baseball, and Pee Wee football. By the time we got to Jr. High there were plenty of guys who could play all the sports because we had been playing sandlot games our whole lives.

Today the are select sports and kids start organized practice for select teams that play year round. They pretty much don't do any sandlot because the parents/ coaches think they could get hurt if they are not properly supervised. Parks are never used for sandlot games of anything. We as a country have a huge problem with childhood obsiety.

Now I will not generalize and say any kid that plays video games and text's a lot is inactive because there are numerous exceptions, but when looking at the big picture I would say on the whole kids are less independently active than they were when I was a kid.

But the blame isn't all on technology. Society has changed. Like you said, there aren't pick up games anymore. You have to join a team and adhere to their schedule and their rules. Some kids aren't allowed to play in front of their house because their parents fear they will be kidnapped. Many can't ride their bikes around because of the same fears. More kids are coming home to an empty house than they did when I was a young. They aren't allowed to have friends over without a parent home so they are stuck inside and they turn to electronics.

There is a thread on here about kids being allowed to babysit at 12. Most of us (over 40) grew up babysitting at very young ages. I started cutting the grass at 10 and had a real job in an office at 14. That is unheard of today. My husband actually had a neighbor question him about safety issues because we allow our son to cut the grass. He was 12 when he started mowing, not 3! My own kids can't even volunteer without a parent present around here. They have to be at least 16 and most places require them to be 18. There is less and less for kids to do everyday. Nobody wants to see them "loitering" at the mall, they get in trouble if they run around with airsoft guns, they can't bounce on a trampoline because they might break something, the list goes on and on.

Kids aren't active for a variety of reasons and their fallback is electronics. It doesn't make it right and there are some options if you search hard enough but I don't blame electronics. We have created a bubble for this generation with a very structured environment. Electronics are not to blame for that. It is an unfortunate downside of today's society.

Having said all of that, my kids are skinny, active, have lots of friends and use every piece of electronics available. It is certainly possible to do but it does take work on the parents part to monitor what their kid is doing.

 

[browneyes106]

I know many who are active physically but still play video games, watch TV and use cell phones. I excerise 3-5 days out of the week and I still loving have video game nights with my bf and a few friends and watching movies and TV shows. When I was growing up we had several video game consoles NES,SNES, Sega, N64 and Playstation. My parents didn't let me play video games unless homework and chores were done. I played in youth sports leagues and took dance classes so sometimes I would play video games on weekends or when I didn't have sports or dance going on. My parents let me play as long as I wanted as I didn't have anything else going on.

They also encouraged me to read books but they never forced it on me. I learned to love to read on my own. I think maybe parents could encourage physical activity while still letting kids enjoy technology. Some technology does encourage physical activity. The Wii system is one example. My cousin told me her kids play DDR almost daily usually for 30 mins or so.

 

[browneyes106]

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