My post is inspired by a Facebook status I read from a friend’s wall and it says:
As a kid I didn’t have a computer, internet, ipod, cell phone, PS3, Nintendo DS, XBox… I had two feet, a bike, chores & a curfew. My toys were the outside world. If I didn’t eat what my mom made, I didn’t eat. I didn’t dare tell my parents “no” or “what-ever” or dare talk back. Life wasn’t hard, it was life. And I survived. Re-post if you liked the way you were raised and drank water out of a hose.
I could not repost it because I had so much to add and Facebook only allows 420 characters for their status messages. Anyway, while it is true that I didn’t have a computer and those that were mentioned above, I did have the low tech versions of those- I had a desktop (without Internet), a Sony walkman and vast collection of tapes, a stereo, game & watch, tetris, and a family computer (Contra, Super Mario, tetris, etc). I didn’t have a curfew because the park and the tennis court was right across our house and at that time, peso rate is higher than the crime rate in our little barrio. It’s true that the outside world were my toys and playmates. I’m an only child and I was always allowed to play wherever and whenever. If I didn’t eat what my mom made, I will eat lots of sermon and possibly a palo (spank). I didn’t dare tell my parents NO and Whatever or even dare talk back (very true!). Life wasn’t hard, not at all. I missed those days when life was just about playing and playing some more and tricks to avoid vegetables served during dinner. And yes I did drank water from the hose 🙂
The point of my friend’s status I guess is that our childhood is far more different than our children’s. I could not let Peaches go outside the building premises without me suffering from paranoia. If there’s one downside of living in a business district it’s that kids could not experience playing whole day on grassy park (Our small park, if you can call it one has grass but they want you to keep off it!). We need to drive all the way to Serendra so Peaches can ride her bike and run around like a crazy-grass-deprived child. It’s expensive and tiring for the parents (and our wallets!). Lucky for you if you live inside the subdivision at least your park is accessible and supposed to be safe.
Don’t get me talking about teens who refuses to play sports because they’re too busy with their PC games, their Xbox (or Wii) and yes the PSP. A friend told me she hardly talks to her sons because both are always busy with whatever toys they have in hand. Some are happy to have the peace and quiet because the kids are pre occupied with these high tech toys but I’m not too happy with it. I’d rather suffer from partial hear loss because kids are squealing with joy and happiness over a slide or a swing or a sand.
Well there you go that’s how our life was when we were still not technology slaves. Don’t get me wrong, I love the innovations in technology but I just don’t think we’re managing it right.
What I’m really trying to say is the abundance of information (that technology
has brought us), trying to help us learn more, watch more, listen more and be informed more has somehow taken the fun out of it somewhere in between. With all the awesome things we easily get through technology, it’s getting harder and harder to fascinate us day by day and with that, it’s getting harder to smile and enjoy those little things in life. I realized we’re losing our grasp of what’s important and what’s of greater value because of the amazing things and conveniences that was offered to us in a silver platter.
I hope we do not lose the ability to be fascinated and more importantly not lose the ability to feel.
