We Have Ruined Childhood
nytimes.com
We Have Ruined Childhood
1–10 of 505 posts
Re: We Have Ruined Childhood
#2Is this exclusive to childhood?
It feels to me, though this could well be a socio-economic bubble thing, that people are just scrambling everywhere. Hyperfocused on something; anything.
Maybe it's their career; maybe it's their cause; whatever. But the innocence of just living, existing; hanging out in this beautiful world we call home; seems to be fading for many.
Happiness must be now, not future, otherwise future it will always be.
Re: We Have Ruined Childhood
#3I have a child. I love him very much. I can not fathom why any parents would not have free time as priority.
Free time is amazing. Here is why.
- I get a break.
- My child gets to learn how to learn on his own.
- My child builds independence.
- My child learns to manage his time on his own.
Free time is a win win win.
Re: We Have Ruined Childhood
#4Does this feel to anyone else like a lengthy characterization of a very particular time/place of 20th century child rearing? And, if it does, is there a reason to believe that we got parenting exactly right in, what, American circa 1950-1970, after starkly different parenting norms both before and after?
Re: We Have Ruined Childhood
#5Well, if you report 24x7 hate and danger, scare the crap out of people, and report that there is danger behind every tree, then yes, childhoods are ruined. Things are getting safer and the only way you would know it is go look at the CDC stats.
Kids need time with their friends away from parents. I'm so glad I was able to grow up in the (sadly last) "be home for dinner, be back by dark" generation.
Re: We Have Ruined Childhood
#6Does this feel to anyone else like a lengthy characterization of a very particular time/place of 20th century child rearing? And, if it does, is there a reason to believe that we got parenting exactly right in, what, American circa 1950-1970, after starkly different parenting norms both before and after?
Let's add "affluent and white and fortuitously non alcohol addicted" to "1950-1970" and I think you nailed it.
Re: We Have Ruined Childhood
#7Is this exclusive to childhood? It feels to me, though this could well be a socio-economic bubble thing, that people are just scrambling everywhere. Hyperfocused on something; anything. Maybe it's their career; maybe it's their cause; whatever. But the innocence of just living, existing; hanging out in this beautiful world we call home; seems to be fading for many. Happiness must be now, not future, otherwise future…
Society demands far too much of everyone's time, from childhood through adulthood. It's not simply enough to balance work and life, to get by most people have to spend more time working than not when sleep is taken into account (if a person gets enough sleep, many do not).
Society is a greedy bastard. It gets a pound of flesh in the long run, no matter what.
Re: We Have Ruined Childhood
#8Well, if you report 24x7 hate and danger, scare the crap out of people, and report that there is danger behind every tree, then yes, childhoods are ruined. Things are getting safer and the only way you would know it is go look at the CDC stats. Kids need time with their friends away from parents. I'm so glad I was able to grow up in the (sadly last) "be home for dinner, be back by dark" generation.
The wisdom of the "may you live in interesting times" curse rears its head once again.
Re: We Have Ruined Childhood
#9I have a child. I love him very much. I can not fathom why any parents would not have free time as priority. Free time is amazing. Here is why. - I get a break. - My child gets to learn how to learn on his own. - My child builds independence. - My child learns to manage his time on his own. I see this playing out in the work force too. Far too many people I have worked with that are younger need to be told exactly wh…
I'm the same. I consider myself very, very privileged.
Re: We Have Ruined Childhood
#10Well, if you report 24x7 hate and danger, scare the crap out of people, and report that there is danger behind every tree, then yes, childhoods are ruined. Things are getting safer and the only way you would know it is go look at the CDC stats. Kids need time with their friends away from parents. I'm so glad I was able to grow up in the (sadly last) "be home for dinner, be back by dark" generation.
Indeed. There is no better example of a failure to do basic math than running active shooter drills when 98% of child gun homicides happen outside of school hours.