Wake up, go to school, go to bed. This is the life that most children tend to lead. However, the difference of ten years has truly changed what happens in the space between bedtime and school. In my mind my “childhood” was from pre K to fifth grade. But, if we look at the way I led my back then, versus how many children lead their lives today, we can see many key differences.
The most prominent one is technology. Today, kids treat screens like they are their best friends. Gluing their eyes to the device like it’s their best buddy and their competing in some life-or-death staring contest. Kids would much rather sit inside all day and watch Encanto (which, don't get me wrong, is a great movie), but they want to watch it all day long. In my childhood, I begged my parents to let me stay outside longer; I remember hiding from my parents when dinner came around. I didn’t have a phone or a tablet. I lived in the real world. If I had been worrying about social media or my group chats, I don’t think I would have appreciated my childhood as much.
Technology seems to be the new lemonade stand, but instead of making money from the community around you, kids give it away to video games and the cool new app. In my mind, technology has taken away from childhood's blissful nature. It takes away from the times with neighborhood friends, basketball tournaments, and every other moment from this time. I take for granted what my childhood was like. I am so grateful that my parents didn’t give me technology as a young kid, because I truly got to enjoy and appreciate my childhood. I got to be part of the generation that made lemonade stands and enjoyed basketball tournaments. And, while my generation seems to be at odds against the children today, we can still share in our similarities; we wake up, go to school, and finally go to bed.