Rossi, we -aren't- all alive after those things now. The dead kids can't post to livejournals to speak up. Kids DID die from paint with lead in it. There were -thousands- of deaths from accidental overdose. People smashed their heads in, got beaten up, got polio, smallpox, mumps.
Not every kid was outside playing, not every kid is overweight from sitting on their ass reading. And there's a higher instance of adult diabetes from all those sugary things being eaten and kids who are adults now NOT knowing how to plan a decent diet.
Also consider the stereotype of the nerd from our childhood. Stayed indoors all the time - and was skinny, pale and wore glasses.
There were fat kids 25 years ago. Who ate badly, who didn't want to play outside. Hell, they were in the damned media. Didn't you watch "Stand by Me" or "The Goonies"??
Its never been JUST a case of not being active. Its lack of activity, bad eating habits, fast food being -cheap-, junk food being cheap and really tasty. And a distinct lack of education about proper eating habits.
Yes, getting hit in the face with a ball hurts. Hurts a hell of a lot more when it busts your skull open and you have learning disabilities due to brain damage.
Thirty years ago, if you were sexually abused, tough. There wasn't a lot to be done about it. If you were a girl, and wanted to take calculus at 16 - forget it, girls don't DO That. If you were gay? Nope, sorry, you're a poof and got beaten up.
And you know? I know a almost-seven year old and six year old who go outside and find friends. Who have a playstation, but also play outside. Who share drinks, who fall from trees, who get dirty, who play in streams.
Yes, I know you think this is cute.
Its also insulting to people who -did- live through some of that stuff. Who are recovering adults now.
The past is not a pipe dream of goodness. Nostalgic cannot erase the problems that society and technology have started to solve. And we're are damn well no worse off now then we were in 1973.
Yes, in 2003, we have problems. You show me a perfect society, I'll show you a really badly written sci-fi novel.
We over-legislate. We over-compensate. We'll get past it. But not because of glurgy suger-sweet "Oh, wow, the 70's were such a great time when we didn't know that lead paint caused people's brains to stop working right!."
Yes, to some degree, we're over-technologically inclined. Again, we'll get over it. Most people are finding a happy medium. MOST people don't have 11 ways to contact them at all times. Don't let the assholes ruin what is ultimatly a useful and good thing.
Because for every asshole that uses his cell phone in traffic to ask his wife what kind of ice cream she wants and causes a backup because he's drifting across lanes... there's a doctor who is on call who can take a nap, there's a ambulance who can get to an accident THAT Much faster because someone called 911 from the highway.
For every schmuck killing himself over Everquest, there's a girl learning that she can use computers too. There's someone understanding how the people on the other half of the planet live. There's a couple who would never find each other without the internet falling in love.
For every person rolling their eyes at the child-safety caps (Come on, am I the only person on the planet who doens't have a problem with these? Its not that freakin' hard, people. Line up the arrows. Duh.), there's a kid who isn't eating Mom's Ritalin.
I'm -really- tired of people forgetting the problems of the past, and dismissing the benefits of the present.
The good parts of our past are a good thing, and should be passed on. Children should (and still do!) play outside, swim, run, climb, and be free to do all kinds of things. But not at the expense of the lives of those people who -did- die from things we discovered are harmful.
A happy medium is necessary. Not the ignorance of yesterday, not the over-legislation of today.
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The thing is.
Date: 2003-06-03 07:17 am (UTC)Not every kid was outside playing, not every kid is overweight from sitting on their ass reading. And there's a higher instance of adult diabetes from all those sugary things being eaten and kids who are adults now NOT knowing how to plan a decent diet.
Also consider the stereotype of the nerd from our childhood. Stayed indoors all the time - and was skinny, pale and wore glasses.
There were fat kids 25 years ago. Who ate badly, who didn't want to play outside. Hell, they were in the damned media. Didn't you watch "Stand by Me" or "The Goonies"??
Its never been JUST a case of not being active. Its lack of activity, bad eating habits, fast food being -cheap-, junk food being cheap and really tasty. And a distinct lack of education about proper eating habits.
Yes, getting hit in the face with a ball hurts. Hurts a hell of a lot more when it busts your skull open and you have learning disabilities due to brain damage.
Thirty years ago, if you were sexually abused, tough. There wasn't a lot to be done about it. If you were a girl, and wanted to take calculus at 16 - forget it, girls don't DO That. If you were gay? Nope, sorry, you're a poof and got beaten up.
And you know? I know a almost-seven year old and six year old who go outside and find friends. Who have a playstation, but also play outside. Who share drinks, who fall from trees, who get dirty, who play in streams.
Yes, I know you think this is cute.
Its also insulting to people who -did- live through some of that stuff. Who are recovering adults now.
The past is not a pipe dream of goodness. Nostalgic cannot erase the problems that society and technology have started to solve. And we're are damn well no worse off now then we were in 1973.
Yes, in 2003, we have problems. You show me a perfect society, I'll show you a really badly written sci-fi novel.
We over-legislate. We over-compensate. We'll get past it. But not because of glurgy suger-sweet "Oh, wow, the 70's were such a great time when we didn't know that lead paint caused people's brains to stop working right!."
Yes, to some degree, we're over-technologically inclined. Again, we'll get over it. Most people are finding a happy medium. MOST people don't have 11 ways to contact them at all times. Don't let the assholes ruin what is ultimatly a useful and good thing.
Because for every asshole that uses his cell phone in traffic to ask his wife what kind of ice cream she wants and causes a backup because he's drifting across lanes... there's a doctor who is on call who can take a nap, there's a ambulance who can get to an accident THAT Much faster because someone called 911 from the highway.
For every schmuck killing himself over Everquest, there's a girl learning that she can use computers too. There's someone understanding how the people on the other half of the planet live. There's a couple who would never find each other without the internet falling in love.
For every person rolling their eyes at the child-safety caps (Come on, am I the only person on the planet who doens't have a problem with these? Its not that freakin' hard, people. Line up the arrows. Duh.), there's a kid who isn't eating Mom's Ritalin.
I'm -really- tired of people forgetting the problems of the past, and dismissing the benefits of the present.
The good parts of our past are a good thing, and should be passed on. Children should (and still do!) play outside, swim, run, climb, and be free to do all kinds of things. But not at the expense of the lives of those people who -did- die from things we discovered are harmful.
A happy medium is necessary. Not the ignorance of yesterday, not the over-legislation of today.