Stop for a second and think. When you see children today, are they typically on a tablet or phone, endlessly scrolling, or watching some bullshit they’re so locked in on that the moment you remove it from their hands they immediately have a full blow meltdown? How many are just being children, enjoying life, playing, learning, moving, and interacting with others? Very few.
McDonalds is the perfect example. This is the “Play Place” I remember as a child. And, when McDonalds wasn’t enough, I would BEG my parents to take me to this one sporting goods store that had an absolutely massive jungle gym 10x the side of what you see here. I’d be in there for hours, making friends, playing tag, developing motor skills, and keeping active.
And, I had access to technology – something a lot of kids my age didn’t have. There wasn’t just a computer in the house (which was rare at the time), but multiple computers. I may have even had one in my room at that time! But, my time on a computer was limited, because I was more interested in digging holes in the garden, or playing road hockey, or being out with my friends. I came home with scraped knees, and the occasional chipped tooth.
My front tooth is still chipped, repaired, and if you look hard enough, can still see the crack. Oh well.
And now? God forbid kids ride their bikes on the road, or are out running through people’s backyards. We placate these little minds with ads, propaganda, and addictive games. McDonalds just perpetuates this problem with stuffing a couple shitty tablets on a wall.
We’re fucked.
