Children experience life through a lens much different from twenty or thirty years ago. It is common to overhear nostalgic, water cooler conversations over the “good old days.” Today’s adults recount how in previous years the streets were safer, air smelled fresher, food was healthier, and the whole neighborhood pitched in to raise a child. Parents were not afraid to let their children play all day and late into the evening, and cell phones had not made an appearance. Married couples headed more families than single women; mothers let their children in the house after school and put a meal on the table every night. Of course, these are idealistic generalizations – families were as diverse then as they are now. But there are significant differences in how children were raised, and the types of families they were raised in. Changes in society – many for the negative – have influenced the family and, therefore, the child.
Non-Traditional Families
One of these changes is in the structure of the family. Today’s adults were more likely to have been raised by two married heterosexual parents and involved with both sets of grandparents, numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. In present times, more single mothers head households, often having had children out of wedlock, and households are now coupled by homosexual couples. The number of single mothers rose from 3.4 million in 1970 to 10 million in 2011. According to the Census, 110,000 same sex couples are raising children. (Census.gov) Children of single mothers are more likely to engage in at risk behaviors such as substance abuse and early sexual activity. They are less likely to graduate high school. This can be attributed to the difficulty in raising children with only one adult in the home – children require a lot of time and supervision to raise. The research on the outcomes of raising children in a same sex household is more difficult to measure. There are numerous studies, but researcher bias, study design and other factors contribute to vastly different results depending on what study is read. The conclusion across the board seems to be that children fare better when raised by their heterosexual, biological parents. But that is a given. Some studies seem to list a plethora of negative life outcomes of children of same sex couples – but results could be influenced by survey design. It is difficult to say. However, it is true that the face of the family has changed. More and more children are now even being raised by teen parents, and by grandparents, than in previous decades. This change in family structure definitely changed the worldview of many children now versus children twenty to thirty years ago.
Changing Parenting Styles
In generations past, parents normally relied on advice from their mothers and fathers, introspection, and consultation with their spouses and neighbors for parenting advice. Today’s parents utilize a plethora of self-help resources including numerous books and magazines, groups, seminars and television in order to help raise their children. One aspect of changing parenting methods is disciplinary styles. In previous years, parents were more concerned with raising children who were selfless, obedient, and respectful of authority. The adage a child should be seen and not heard was common. If a teacher called home to give a bad report on a child, the mother would ask the child what he/she did wrong. A parent today is more likely to blame the teacher for the child’s misbehavior. Obedience in children is no longer valued as much as self-expression and self-esteem, and children are encouraged to engage adults in conversation. (Mormon)
Changes in how children are disciplined are also prevalent. 25 years ago, parents saw nothing wrong with corporal punishment. Many children were spanked and adults today insist that they suffer no ill effects and are, in fact, more disciplined adults, because they were spanked. Today the trend is to punish children with “time-out” out of respect for children’s bodies and sense of self-worth. (Mormon)
Playtime
Another change in childhood over time is the function of creative play. In the 80’s and even 90’s children could be seen playing outside up into their tweens, engaging in imaginative, sporty play. Children spent most of their time outdoors, and many knew to come in only when the street lamps came on. Children played in make believe forts, made mud pies, played hide and seek, rode bikes and engaged each other in pairs and groups in robust, physical activities. A characteristic of today’s children is that they are cloistered inside the home. The rise in neighborhood crime and decrease of parental presence in the home due to more mothers working contributes to the necessity of children remaining inside. Many homes lack a father, which compounds the difficulty of child supervision. Parents fear the victimization of their children and thus curtail freedoms many children used to enjoy. Children used to ride the bus, ride their bikes, walk a mile to the corner store or a friend’s house. Children these days are no longer walking or biking to school by themselves, a decline from 41% in 1969 to 13% in 2013. (Mormon) Jane Shilling, mother of a 21-year-old son, talks about how today’s children are virtually under house arrest Their schedules are rigid and, their time at school resembles factory like incarceration. (Shilling)
Lifestyle Choices
The lack of outdoor playtime has contributed to a sharp rise in childhood obesity as well. In previous decades, overweight children were much rarer than they are today. Children spent more time out of doors engaged in physical activity in prior decades, and their diets were better. It would be foolish to contribute current rates of childhood obesity to one single factor. Several factors make the weight of children so much different than it was when I was growing up. Over 19% of children between the ages of 6 and 11 are obese and 18% of teenagers. (Urmc.rochester.edu) One of the problems with children’s diets is the fact that more and more women are eating out rather than cooking at home. In 1977, 16% of meals were eaten out. By 1995, that had risen to 34%. Students do not have daily physical education classes anymore, and 7.5 hours a day is spent watching television. (Urmc.rochester.edu) Though a snack twenty years ago was an apple or cheese slices wrapped in bread, today’s children do not get enough whole foods, especially fruits and vegetables. A recent study found that only 57% of children, according to reports by their parents, ate enough fruits and vegetables. Most children are eating far too much white sugar, salt, and beverages laden with empty calories. (Driscoll) “Juice” that is nothing more than sugar, food coloring, and water is consumed by the gallons.
Furthermore, the American Psychological Association reports that only 30% of children are participating in daily vigorous exercise of at least 20 minutes. The recommendation for good health and fitness is 60 minutes per day. Referencing the lack of outdoor playtime discussed previously, changes in how children were raised in the past and now include the number of outdoor activities children participate in. Double Dutch, sports, chasing games and walking were all activities children used to enjoy more frequently.
Technology
One of the most prominent changes in childhood today is the use of technology. Twenty to thirty years ago, children had televisions, radios, cassette players and motorized toys. Today’s children play with computers, smart phones, laptops, tablets, gadgets that resemble spy wear from Mission Impossible, and a plethora of video consoles with various games. With technology has also come the internet, and internet dangers such as predators, pornography, and sensory overload. Many parents even worry about radiation. Children experiences cyber bullying and victimization in chat rooms. (Mormon) The upside of technological advances is an improvement in communication. Parents can text and video chat, kids can access the internet for maps, phone numbers, and bus schedules. GPS devices are able to track children’s whereabouts so parents can monitor their movements.
However, technology is changing the very way children think. In yester years, children were able to engage in hours of focused, creative, imaginative play. Children these days are trained to absorb lots of information quickly – their eyes flit over flashy images, bright colors, and messages designed to catch their attention for a few seconds. The ability to concentrate has suffered. Comprehension has also suffered. The ability to read actual physical books facilitates better recall, comprehension, and faster completion. Children who forgo traditional reading for internet-based text suffer in their ability to recall content, vocabulary attainment, develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. (Taylor) However, there are many positive advances in how children use technology. Children have become skilled in app development, graphics, and computer coding. There are greater opportunities for girls to develop into computer science, and children have opportunities to express themselves in artistic and technical ways that were not available to their parents. Technology facilitates new methods of educating children and allowing them to connect with other people all over the world to broaden their view. Parents have become somewhat inured to technology, however, and children have more access to images of violence than before, as well.
Crime
Many researchers have blamed the rise in violent television and video games with the rise in crime committed by children. Growing up twenty years ago, children would get in trouble, and even have run ins with the police. The level of violence seen today was unheard of, however. There are several different types of crimes being committed by children on a more common basis. Children who grow up in inner cities where there are high poverty and high rates of adult crimes, and where gang violence is prevalent, are often sucked into the gang lifestyle. These children will engage in petty theft drug dealing, robberies, and even murders. Many ore children carry firearms today’s than in previous years. Children who kill their family members are often more common. Often the news details some horrible story of how siblings murdered their parents after experiencing years of abuse, or even just so they could inherit. These killings are always violent, and involve weapons that should be restricted.
The number of school shootings has also gone up. With the advent of school bullying, cyber bullying, and mental illness, many more teenagers (in comparison with previous decades) are getting a hold of weapons and walking into schools to exact gruesome revenge. These teenagers were often victims of verbal and physical bullying, displayed signs of behavioral issues that were ignored, and had easy access to weapons. Many of these children also engaged in heavy video game playing in which they were able to desensitize themselves to brutal violence. Hate crimes have also risen, and crimes teen parents commit against their own children. It is not uncommon now to hear of a young mother giving birth and then callously disposing of the newborn in a trashcan, often fatally.
Society has changed, lifestyles have changed, and priorities have changed. We live in a world that is increasingly consumed with technology, crime, and convenience. Our obsessions have shaped how we raised our children, and new streams of knowledge also influence out ideas of childhood. It is likely that twenty to thirty years from now, the concept of childhood will have changed even more. It is tough to predict what these changes are, but at least we can prevent the changes we do not want to see. Proper diet, safety and exercise are things all parents want to provide their children, along with educational activities and opportunities to develop their talents. Change is not always bad; we can work hard now to make sure it is good.
REFERENCES
Census.gov,. 'Facts For Features: Mother's Day: May 13, 2012 - Facts For Features & Special Editions - Newsroom - U.S. Census Bureau'. Web. 7 Oct. 2014.
Driscoll, Gwen. 'Unhappy Meals? Majority Of Very Young Children In California Eat Fast Food At Least Once Per Week'. ScienceDaily. N.p., 2013. Web. 7 Oct. 2014.
Mormon, Emily. '25 Years Of Parenting, A Look Back And Ahead | Metro Parent'. Metroparent.com. N.p., 2014. Web. 5 Oct. 2014.
Shilling, Jane. 'The Problem Of Today’s Children: Parents « Annie Murphy Paul'.Anniemurphypaul.com. N.p., 2013. Web. 5 Oct. 2014.
Taylor, Jim. 'How Technology Is Changing The Way Children Think And
Focus'.Psychologytoday.com. N.p., 2012. Web. 5 Oct. 2014.
Urmc.rochester.edu,. 'Take-Out Foods, Restaurant Meals Tied To Obesity Trend - Online Medical Encyclopedia - University Of Rochester Medical Center'. N.p., 2014. Web. 7 Oct. 2014.
