Growing up today is no child’s play
THERE really are times when I fear for the future generations. The lives of children nowadays seem so detached from what I experienced as a kid. For a start I spent a great deal of time outdoors and I took lots of exercise. Most kids were the same. On Wednesday in Manchester the head of the NHS Simon Stevens said British children were being hit by a “double epidemic” of mental illness and obesity.
Then he said something very graphic... “The average person in this country spends twice as long on the toilet as they do exercising”.
Nearly every day of the year I walk at least two miles. My primary motivation is for health reasons but I also enjoy the experience. It gives me a great opportunity to think and clear the head.
Too often children are seen bent over a mobile device. They weren’t there when we were growing up and to be honest I feel we are all the better for it. The problem with all of this is how deeply addictive it can become. For
Children today are using technology to excess example, one of the latest crazes is the video game Fortnite, which made €240million for its creators in April alone.
Experts have shown games like this used to excess can have a similar effect as drug abuse or alcoholism.
This is literally mind blowing stuff and needs to be taken seriously.
Governments, including ours, need to put pressure on the tech companies to have a duty of care to our children and, most importantly, parents beware.
Now from the health of our youth to the well-being of the State. It seems Leo the Lion is sharpening up his troops for a snap election just in case his new pals the Shinners put down a motion of no confidence in Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy.
Could Leo the Pussy Cat whisper into the ears of his new Shinner friends and cut a deal. He will have to get practice for the one after the next election.