Nowadays, no kid I know wants the coolest bike in the shop, the biggest truck or the prettiest dolls, because what they want are iPods, iPads, Wiis and other electronics that they SHOULDN'T HAVE AT THIS AGE. My brother in law bought my 10 year old niece her own iPad, which I think is ridiculous. Why in the world would she need an iPad at age 10 ? Oh, I almost forgot to mention that I have two other nieces who are 8 and 6 years old. All three of them have their own laptops and desktops in their rooms, YouTube accounts, G-Mail accounts and Skype accounts. I wonder if they have a Facebook or a Twitter....hmmm.
All three of my nieces are still in elementary school and I don't think they should have any of that stuff. They are too young and it's also dangerous. Why are the parents letting this happen? I think it's irresponsible parenting, but I can't do nothing about it. I am their aunt and I am worried. Lately, there has been so many deaths of students across the country due to bullying, cyber-bullying, internet predators and inappropriate sites that I'm afraid my nieces will run into. I don't want my three precious nieces dealing with any of these problems and that is why they shouldn't have expensive electronics which allows them to have contact/personal accounts! & No, I am not jealous of their new "toys".
What ever happened to traditional toys? The kind made out of plastic, often colorful, makes noises, and are affordable. Remember those things ? Today, the word toys has a completely different meaning and kids want them. Everytime I pass the Apple store at Tysons Mall (Northern VA) there are always kids and their parents looking at music players, Macs, iPhones, etc. and it drives me crazy. Kids are growing way too fast these days and that makes me wonder what my kids will be like in the future. Am I going to have to buy multiples touch computers and the latest phones every Christmas? That is crazy.
My nieces are always on Skype. I wonder why they are always logged on. Who the heck are they talking to? and What are they looking at ? I asked them all the time and get the same ole answer, "Nothing". Ugh, gets me frustrated and paranoid. I mean, if they had homework and needed the internet for it, then I can understand, but they don't, which is why it worries me. They are good kids, but you can never know what is happening. I also notice changes in the way they communicate in person because their interpersonal communication sucks. Sometimes, they don't talk or respond to me, but instead respond to their friends using acronyms that I don't even know like, "C&G" or "CRAFT". which apparently means "chuckle & grin" and "can't remember a frickin' thing". One time, my oldest niece Celine had a Skype conversation with her friend talking crap about another girl saying, "omg, idk. Smh, idc bout her. She stoopid". I was shocked when I saw this because not only did she use acronyms, but her grammar and the way she spelled stupid were clearly on purpose. What blows my mind is that she's only 10. She has influence on her other two sisters when they see her saying these things. It's just not good and I don't know what to do.
Today, young people are very popular and have a massive amount of influence on the future, but that doesn't mean they have to start at such an early stage in their childhood. There is no need to learn how to use an iPad or have an e-mail account at age 10. They have time to use those things for the rest of their lives. They should enjoy their childhood being a kid, acting like a kid, and do things that kids should do. God, I sound so old.
-Maggie A. Nguyen
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