For many high school students reminiscing back on their childhood, they may remember the countless hours playing outside with friends, playing board games with family, or the numerous hours making art with Play-Doh. However, that childhood is not the same thing as the childhood of today’s generation. For many children now, their time is spent inside behind a screen, which has become the new social normality. Although many students may still have grown up with a device, the tendency to be on it was not as addictive as it is seen in the younger generations today.
Due to the lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, the children born during this time were still relatively young and had to be isolated at home without much entertainment besides technology, on which they had become reliant. During this time, apps like YouTube, Roblox, and TikTok quickly grew in popularity. Although these are popular apps for many now and during the childhood of several older generations, their time on these apps was limited.
From this limited time of technology, many are viewing the popular games of today and wondering what happened to the popular games that they grew up with. Specifically for both older and younger generations, a popular app has been Roblox. Roblox is a user-generated online gaming and social platform where users can create, share, and play an extensive variety of games. For those who grew up in the early stages of the app, they saw games including Adopt Me, Work at a Pizza Place, and Royale High were extremely popular. However, modern games now, including 99 Nights in the Forest, Grow a Garden, and Steal a Brainrot, are all the rage now.
Through the extensive popularity of constantly being online, many find those of the younger generation constantly on technology, which does have its negative effects. This can include sleep deprivation, eye strain, poor posture, and mental issues ranging from anxiety, depression, or impaired function in attention and productivity. However, for children who grew up playing outdoors or partaking in engaging activities, these types of issues were not a big worry for parents.
Since the children of today are extremely reliant on technology, it is hard for them to ever experience what it was like for their older counterparts to grow up due to the drastic difference. Many children of today experience lower-quality cartoons with limited storytelling, while many older generations grew up with animated shows telling a beautifully painted story teaching a life lesson by the end of its run time. Additionally, the children of today will not experience the same thrill and excitement that it was to do tactile activities like playing with Play-Doh or using special coloring utensils in a coloring book.
From the rapid growth of technology over the years, the children of today have grown reliant on technology, not allowing them to experience the same childhood experiences that their older counterparts had. Games like Roblox have become extremely addictive for this generation, and due to this reliance could have negative effects on its users. Additionally, many older generations grew up with tactile activities that brought them joy, but now it is and will continue to be completely different.
