Today around 2:30pm I took my 10 year old child to the playground- not a sunny day but not raining- about 55 degrees.
When we arrived we did not see one kid!! Then a few toddlers and babies showed up 10 minutes later. This playground usually has loads of kids of all ages (equipment big enough for teens and adults) playing on equipment and kicking balls- playing catch etc… two years ago the scene was much different- this is a highly populated area in north Bay Area- California- totally safe neighborhood too.
This is just a snapshot- but my first reaction was this… Look at the ages of the kids- once they are the “appropriate” age to use devices- preschool/kinder it’s over…,
We played at this playground for 2 hours- even played in the creek etc… and the whole time we did not see one kid over the age of 2-3.
Scenes like this make me wonder, now what we’re we missing when that first child was handed an iPad?
This development will never be recovered because each stage builds on the next till old age. The muscles and nerves support our spine that gives us balance- and how will this look in 80 years? We just don’t know- so why take a chance?
Up till today I really thought- each to his own- some kids manage tech better than others. But after seeing this empty playground, I really think this could be the biggest public health problem that ever faced humanity. You can’t build a healthy body without movement- and screens rob kids of this once in a lifetime opportunity.