The Disappearance of Childhood

[Bstanley]

There is an excellent article over on MiceAge today.

It revolves around the assertion that children grow up faster today than they did in the past and how that gets reflected in Theme Park ride design.

Go read - then come back here to discuss!

 

[crusader]

This is the main point to me:

My theory rests upon the contention that society hasn’t really changed. Children haven’t really changed, either. About the only thing that is different would be the way adults are treating the children (in this case, not going out of their way to carve out childhood as a special and protected time of life).

He's right. Adults are increasingly affecting the development of our kids. Whether it's as a consumer market, an emotional heartstring, a pharmaceutical guinea pig or a tool in the expanding divorce arena this is a different time we live in.

So if the contention is that society must change I also agree. But unfortunately that's not where we're headed and I don't forsee it happening. I can't make my neighbor behave the way I believe and I can't impose my ideals on anyone.

So where does that leave the themepark industry? All they can really do is continue to create dream fantasy vacations and provide quality entertainment to meet the demands of tomorrow's audience.

 

[Cricket2]

You could have had this discussion 10 years ago or 10 years before that. Every generation thinks the same thing about the generation that follows it.

If you believe that the current generation (pick one) is not satisfactorily entertained by the current older attraction base, then why do kids still ride the old attractions at all? I'm in line with them every time I'm there.

Thrill rides are thrilling by definition. Of course kids are thrilled by them, adults are thrilled by them too. Would Splash Mountain still be an E-ticket without the drop? I bet it would. Would it be busier with a second bigger drop added in? For a while I suppose it might, but then it's still a nostalgic ride for most in the end. I still get off of it singing "How do you do" long after the splash has worn off.

Respect for the parks/attractions is more of an issue if you ask me.


JC

 

[Bstanley]

Focusing solely on the design of attractions for WDW - the theory seems to be that designs today are simply reflecting parents failure to provide the same 'childhood' that parents did 25-50 years ago. So basically new attractions end up as physical thrill rides because they provide entertainment that is interesting to today's children who have been shortchanged on their 'childhood'.

I do not think that is the primary reason that attractions have changed.

IMHO the more obvious answer to the thrill ride explosion is that it's simply easier for the designers to use a physical effect than it is to tell a story - for the same reason that it's easier to get a laugh with a pie in the face. Example - the Kilamanjaro Safari ride - I love this ride, right up to the point where they try to turn it into a thrill ride.

There simply isn't anyone driving the attraction designers to come up with the next great PoC. Why not? It's not because today's children don't enjoy PoC or HM. IMHO it's because we need more storytellers designing attractions and fewer engineers (and I 'R' an engineer).

 

[YoHo]

I agree with Bstanley.

There are still plenty of children signing Yo Ho Yo Ho a pirates life for me, or getting in line for Haunted Mansion or insisting on riding Small world a billion times.

 

[crusader]

IMHO the more obvious answer to the thrill ride explosion is that it's simply easier for the designers to use a physical effect than it is to tell a story - for the same reason that it's easier to get a laugh with a pie in the face.

Maybe. But the demand for the physical thrill was always there along with the Pirates and HM. Space Mountain provided both.

So did Tower of Terror and I am hopeful Expedition Everest will as well.

There is an equitable relative audience who want the attractions built around the "wild mouse" thrill of today. These are the same kids as my generation who like myself in the 70's will ride their equivalent of a space mountain over and over and over until the line gets too long.

And of course the expectation is that it be technologically advanced in accordance with tomorrow's standards.

So maybe the thrills aren't the issue here. Maybe it's the lack of tomorrow's HM and PoC that is driving the biggest complaint. Well I can't really disagree with you there. There is no equivalent in my opinion - so yes, Disney is in dire need of another great attraction of that caliber.

 

[raidermatt]

IMHO the more obvious answer to the thrill ride explosion is that it's simply easier for the designers to use a physical effect than it is to tell a story...

Exactly.

That's not to say that the physical thrill should have no place... when its appropriate to the story, use it, but it shouldn't be used as a crutch.

 

[mrsR123]

Webmaster Cricket wrote:

You could have had this discussion 10 years ago

actually, I did, sort of. ONly it wasn't about theme park rides it was about video editing. I argued with my mass-comm major roommate ( and I guess it was more like 15 years ago) that the frenetic pace of images in videos and commercials was going to erode kids' attention spans. She countered that I should have more appreciation for the use of new and exciting technologies. I was an English major and wanted people who could sit still long enough for stories to unfold, to savor words.

I still look for that story and savor the details. This time, though, it's not video images that make-up the new technology; it's ride mechanics technology. It's still techie-types--engineers--playing with the newest bells and whistles.

So BStanley, I concur:

it's because we need more storytellers designing attractions and fewer engineers

 

[kirabira]

Here's my take- which some people might find extreme!

The problem of a disappearing childhood is more complex than societal influences. Someone mentioned how every older generation will say this about the current- times have changed etc etc. This is a good point. "childhood" is actually something very modern. Up until the 1900s people that today we would label children were working in fields and factories and getting married and raising families. It's our luxury and success that allows us to extend our "childhood". It's why some of us can still 'play' -- take time off of work etc to ridiculously enjoy Disney while other people in other places are starving or facing all sorts of hardships. So 'childhood' in one sense is a cultural issue.

Another way to define childhood is strickly going by peer group--- ignoring what our 'standards' are for a child to be having a 'childhood'. IE many people have a problem with children dressing too 'adult'- wearing shirts that show their belly buttons or low rise pants-- but this isn't a new phenomenon; children have typically always liked to play dress up and wear current fashion-- the question is are the stars of the day charlie chaplin or brittany spears? Either way this *is* kids stuff.
As a peer group you can expect this behaviour.
Other childhood based markets have recently found themselves floundering. FAO, toys r us, KB etc have all had financial troubles and noted 'problems' within the industry. It's ofetn said children are growing up 'faster' and no longer want toys-- or the traditional kinds of toys they are selling.
But this isnt all there is to it. There's also a crisis in family going on. What happens when children have more adult company than they have child company? There is less time for fantasy and childish playing, adults do 'force' a child to adapt to the amount of 'play' an adult can handle, and then try to hook the child onto adult interests that the adult will enjoy.
You might not be following =) But humans being a more tribal people, typically had more extended family and specifically more children than the average of 2.5 (and declining) that families have today. In large families the children do get to play more-- there are automatic friends and endless hours of fort play, more fantasy, more people to act out, to interact with, to share ideas with etc. So, in a sense contraception has 'ruined' the fraternity of children. Adults rarely let themselves be outnumbered by the children in their household so they are under a new kind of constant watch, pressure and rigidity that doesnt breed silly play =)