It was Better When...

[Suzie_Homemaker]

I don't think it technology to blame. I think it fear.

When I was little girl, traveling was not as easy as it is today and so many generations of family remained in small geographical area. Families know other families. If a stranger in town, some one would know his story, his background.

Now that no longer true. Even me come from other County. I sure other posters too not from Canada or who parent not from Canada. So, we no longer know who in our communities, we no longer have people we know long time, vouching for strangers. Everyone a stranger and with that come suspicions.

Just maybe 30 year ago, all the kid play outside and most houses have a mom at home. As kid move around neighborhood in big group of friends, there always an adult eye on them, watching over, keeping safe, and yelling at them if about to do something too stupid or risky.

Now, the adults no longer home. Bigger living cost, single parent families, not living in community with family close by, all contribute to no adult watching over kids. And with everyone being a stranger, parent not sure who to trust. Because can't be home to watch own children, false sense of protection in making sure kids come straight home from school and lock themselves in house until parent finish work.

This hurts everyone.

The kids don't learn natural consequences in safe environment with friends. When kid being a jerk, friends will put in place, or exclude for short while and kids soon learn to be nice, kind and get along with others. These important lessons being missed out because kids not get chance to try on different personalities in safe environment to find out who they are. They not develop life skills in co-operation and communication. They not learn if they take risk and climb to high up tree, then they fall out. They not learn boundaries for respecting others and also for unnecessary chances - natural selection.

Instead, we teach kids not to interact. To be wary of adult vs respectful. Not long ago, it was fair for any adult in neighborhood to allocate job to any kid. If old lady need help unpacking shopping from trunk, it fine to grab any kid from street to help. If adult here bad language from youth, it fair game for any adult to clip kid behind ear and tell them off. Not now. Now parent would attack adult who corrected their kid. Parent would sue adult who grabbed thieving youth by scruff of neck.

So now, now accountability. Youngers not corrected by community of adults who see bad behavior when parent not there. Youth cocky about being untouchable and beyond reprimand. Younger kids isolated in basement until adults come home and so only interacting with adults in adult World and no chance to develop and grow skills with peers.

No trust in communities because everyone a stranger and no way to change when all adults working and not get chance to meet people living close by.

All living individual lives which intersect in public places but don't really connect.

Kids no respect for parent who rarely available. Parent available to kid from 5.30pm until bedtime only but kids peers contactable 24x7 instantly on touch screen. This why kids value friends more than families.

It not technology that killed way we've lived for generations - it fear.