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BY JENNIFER SILVERMAN
It goes without saying that childhood circa 2023 is vastly different from adolescence of any other era.
As times change and the world evolves, one generation’s experience of childhood will obviously vary from those who came before or after.
I’m 37, which doesn’t seem all that old.
Nonetheless, it’s a safe bet that an encounter between the youthful moi and a wee one of today, would be akin to the TV special in which The Flintstones met The Jetsons.
The transformative quote from Alice Walker’s beautiful novel, The Color Purple, “the more things change, the more they stay the same,” seems apropos right about now.
Just as generations before us were concerned about the colossal bridge between the childhoods of yesteryear and their present, it’s become quite the hot topic for today’s prospective parents.
Several of my thirty-something friends have already had kids, some are still hoping to pursue parenthood, and many have decided they have no desire to expand their families.
According to a 2021 report by the Pew Research Center, a whopping 44% of non-parents in the 18-49 age range assert it’s unlikely they’ll have kids.
Rationale for not becoming parents ranges from simply having no interest, to not wanting to bear the expense, to fearing for the future in an era of uncertainty, to dislike of being tied down, to simply aging out since folks are finding their partners later in life.
One of the most common arguments I’ve heard for nixing offspring revolves around the societal changes that are preventing “kids from being kids”.
Most of today’s youngsters don’t know the joy of day-long unsupervised play and coming home to the ring of a dinner bell.
They will never experience a technology-free existence.
Getting a glimpse of an actual encyclopedia is highly unlikely.
Furthermore, they'll never know the satisfaction of successfully lugging one of those encyclopedic beasts onto a library table. (I think schlepping around an encyclopedia should be mandatory for every tyke at least once. It’s a rite of passage.)
How can a kiddo truly possess “childlike innocence” when they know so much more than we did?
Today’s version of “imaginary friends”, Alexa and Siri, expose younger kids to information much earlier than their minds may be mature enough to process.
And, what happens to social and emotional intelligence when contact with phones is more prevalent than in-person interaction with other kids?
Personally, my greatest concern on the genesis front is the volatility of today’s world.
I remember studying slavery and the holocaust as a little girl, and thinking how fortunate I was not to be living in a world like that. It all seemed so far in the past.
I don’t know if today's adolescents will ever encounter the notion that rampant discrimination is no longer a reality. With the unprecedented rise of racism, antisemitism, and hate in general, our world seems to be regressing far more than progressing.
As a result, kids’ quality of life – both today and tomorrow, are on shaky ground.
My friend Desiree had a lovely retort when I conveyed the laundry list of reasons why people don't want kids: “Maybe my kids will make the world a better place.” (It's certainly one of the best procreation pros I've encountered.)
Much like the adage about the telephone, progress also works both ways. If we can go backward, hopefully we’ll eventually find our way forward again.
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