From stones to mouse

While I was sharing joys of my childhood memories with a friend of mine over the telephone, I suddenly realized how the generation has shifted from me. I am no longer considered as a new generation. There was a time when we as children used to play every sort of game utilizing every small resource we could find in and around home and contrastingly, there is a time when children only play computer games or plastic toys found in departmental store.

Though the latter part of the children’s game is applicable only in urban areas, the shift from 5 stones to mouse of the computer stroked me deep. In earlier days, children would have a bunch of friends in their neighborhood. Parents were less concerned about their stay at home because they knew their children were playing. Friends ranged from any caste and age really didn’t matter. Every small bit was considered as toy. 5 small stones that we used to roll in our hands, statues and silent LONDON game, the collection of match boxes, post cards of our favorite actors, the min pachaas (2 months long) holidays, the reminiscence of “Into Binto Rajan ma, Hamro Bhai Paltan ma” and certainly the runaway after “tinininini”. Those were the real fun days of then childhood days that are unforgettable.  By the way, I am not here to explain about how entertaining my childhood days were but to analyse the transition from that period to this day.

Playing games and enjoying are considered as one of the basic rights of a child for their proper mental and physical growth. Its not that children don’t enjoy their computer games these days. The point is they have become so isolated that they don’t need anyone except TVs and Computers. They can let the whole day pass while staying in front of TV or computer. Even, they have become master in playing Temple Run in their elders’ smartphone. Technological advancement has made them aloof from the outer world. They don’t really gather up with their friends and play after school and even in school, they are bound with the time limit to play with their friends and shout as children do for no reasons.

With the development in technology and ultimately the society, there is much increase in crime rate. We hardly let our children go alone out of the house premises. Even if they go, we look outside of the window thousand times to look if they haven’t gone out of the sight or if they are safe. The feeling of this insecurity is what development has brought with it. Though we cannot say that our country has developed much but while comparing with time of 90’s and now, it certainly has developed a lot.

The only concern is that how our child is missing to take full enjoyment of their childhood required for healthy growth due to bound of this insecure society and competitive lifestyle. They are loaded with bundles of books and homeworks. They start their schooling at the age of 2 and since the very first day, they are taught to compete and they compete to be the best for their whole life ahead. I feel lucky to have been born in 80s. I enjoyed pointless games then. I also got to enjoy video games and computer games plus cartoons of this generation. I saw the paradigmatic shift brought by the technology in the growth of children.