The New Generation

Creation Date: May 14th 2009
Posted on: May 20th 2009

The New Generation

How frequently do we think that world is changing at such a pace, the change in last 5 yrs is much more than the change in last 50 yrs. It’s also probably because we have learnt a lot many new things in last 5 yrs so our perception of changing world is different. But usually all these thoughts don’t grab our mind unless we see a big change in our life.

I started feeling and comparing these changes after my son Ishaan was born, I should rather say during the period when Ishaan was born. Yes it was the biggest change in my life but I found I have starting living my childhood again with him. For everything that he learns or does I compare it with how I use to do that, if I remember anything from my childhood. At least I do remember what kind of toys I had, who all were in my family at that time and what were my favorite activities from toddler to teens. And every time I think about this am surprised, yes the world has changed completely in last 30 yrs.

Starting from the way we were born when child birth was a female affair and the details about pregnancy were not discussed or shared in the group and mostly girl would take suggestions from her mother or mother in law, who would confidently suggest them what is right or wrong based on the limited knowledge that they had, to the time when we freely discuss about all the details, procedure, tests, precautions and medications to be taken during and after pregnancy. It has totally changed, our elder generation would still feel shy to talk about all this but we don’t even think twice before discussing these topics. Probably because education and internet has brought such awareness in the society that these things are no more a female affair.

Similarly the way kids are brought up and taught new things has really changed. They have now become electronic and super kids, they love to play with electronic toys which have lights and music unlike our generation kids who used those mechanical toys operating with keys, rarely we got any cars with light and sound leave alone the remote controlled cars which are so common today. They prefer using cell phones as teether and listen to their favorite music on laptops and watch their cartoon shows on on-demand network on 40+inches wall mounted HDTV screen. The tricycle they use will have all music and light system and for exercising and playing they would prefer WII than actually walking to a tennis court and looking for a friend to play with them. They are brought up with laptops around them unlike our generation kids who got a chance to see a calculator only when they passed 5th grade. I wonder what kind of lifestyle would they have in future, is giving them so many gadgets actually making them dependent on the aid from these items rather than using their own brain.

Well not really, I think there is no going back from a point we have reached. So if they get dependent on something we know they will have that available throughout their life, its like when wheel was invented no one stopped using it just because they would get dependent/habitual on wheel and forget to walk, that would never happen. And it’s a proved fact that the next generation kids have a better and smarter brain.