Nowhere For Our Kids To Play

I am 33 years old; still pretty young, I think! In spite of my small number of years on this earth, I have seen a lot of big changes in the environment and the way children play these days.There's nowhere for our kids to play! All the woods have been cut down to add more houses to our neighborhoods. Our kids are addicted to media like the Internet, FaceBook, Cell Phones and chatting, and they don't even want to go outside and play!

We have created a generation that receives information instantly. Don't get me wrong, this can be a good thing. Look at all the interesting and valuable information here on HubPages alone! Unfortunately, however, there is no longer any reason for kids to visit a library; many books are available over the Internet found simply by utilizing and clicking on a variety of devices including Cell Phones, Tablets, and a growing number of different hand-held, pocket sized computing options.

When I was a kid, I was always outside. I enjoyed playing in the woods, near water-anywhere were I could get away from my parents and the house! All the neighborhood kids would get together and play games like "Kick the Can" , or "Man Hunt". Those were some great times! I remember when the first Nintendo Game System came out. We bought it, used it for about 6 weeks, then ended up selling it at a yard sale a few months later. We were never in the house!

I was a Cub Scout and the moved up to the Boy Scouts. Oh, I had so much fun in scouts! As a Troop, we went camping almost every other weekend. We would fish, hike, sometimes canoe, and regardless of the weather, we always made our own fun. One of the best parts of these outings was after a long, hard day of playing outdoors, we would build a fire and tell stories. Sometimes we would sing songs, roast hot dogs and marshmallows, and just enjoy being with friends outside. Ah, I really do miss those days!

More and more these days, I drive through the community in which I grew up in and all I see is houses. Houses so close, you can hear your neighbor sneeze when the window is open in the summer. There is no more privacy. The television constantly tells us that the world is very dangerous. There are murderers, robbers, and people lurking around every corner to try to hurt you or take something from you. Maybe the television stations are feeding us this propaganda so we feel the need to stay inside. How ironic because when we do stay inside, we probably watch more TV!

Now one may comment, "Hey, you're no different because you spend a lot of time creating articles, doing research, and commenting on other people's Hubs!".

Well, in part, that's true. I am however, an adult, and this Hub is based on the differences in my childhood experiences and the children of today's generation in relation to how much time they spend outdoors. It's true, I Do spend a lot of time online, but I consider this a passion as well as a business; I am trying to make extra money to support my family by doing something I truly love. Besides that, in my day job I work outdoors, rain or shine, sleet or snow. I still go fishing often during the season, and I try to go camping in the summer when work allows for it.

My one hope is for kids to embrace the outdoors. Remember, electricity and all that comes with it is fairly new in reference to History. It's not too late to enjoy the outdoors but time is running out. While we are sitting inside doing whatever it is that we do, the world around us is slowly shrinking, and there may not be much left of the true wild to enjoy, in a very short time period. Let's all pledge to try to go outside once and a while and enjoy it. There is nothing like being in nature.