The Judd Apatow film “This is 40” is a hilarious film about
two parents that realize they are not as young as they were, getting into mischief
and arguments that drive their relationship into outrageous situations. The
oldest daughter of the couple Sadie, is played by Maude Apatow, the real life
daughter of Filmmaker Judd Apatow. Sadie is a 13-year-old girl obsessed with
her mobile devices and the television show Lost.
During the film Sadie’s parents ask her why doesn’t she put the iPad down and
go outside and build a fort with friends? “What am I supposed to do with this
fort?” says Sadie sarcastically before she storms off, and that is the point of
this blog post.
When I was a younger boy 20 years ago, I couldn’t wait to go
outside just to get out the house. If nothing was on television and my homework
was done, it was time to make my own fun. Driven by creativity with neighborhood
kids or solo, we would build a fort in a tree or on land, making up games to go
along with the fort. Water balloon wars, slay the invaders, or what ever, it
was something to build and destroy. It wasn't just for boys, girls would have a fort as well, but not call it that or they would become the troublesome invaders trying to get into the boys fort.
Most adults might say there is something wrong with kids today
that don’t want to go outside to play. I don’t think so, its just a different
time and different interest. Back in the day we were limited to what we could watch,
play, or do; today kids have numerous activities available to them via app or
online. Why build a funky fort outside, when you could make a digital kingdom.
I can completely understand where Sadie is coming from when
she gets irritated by her parents suggesting she make a fort. Kids today aren’t
use to forcing their creative juices to flow, and if your friends are online
instead of outside, what’s the point of going outside. They will go to school
the next day and say, “hey did you see what they found in the bunker in that
episode of lost”, not “hey did you see the swing we made for the fort”.
IPad, iPhone, MacBook, and android devices; sad as it may
seem, these are the toys of the future. Kids grow up using and interacting with digital devices, so that’s all they know and accept.
C’mon think about it, you can stream or download TV shows and movies on
demand, read a book, play games online with friends and shop, all from the convenience of your
devices. why would you put your device down? Exercise, ha! Who wants that, to
be a social butterfly, please! That’s what Facebook is for, to take pictures,
give me a break, I have a mirror in my bathroom and I’m a master of layers in Photoshop. (Hopefully you sense the sarcasm)
Technology is taking over; according to Nielsen.com the
trend of using mobile devices to multi-task and view entertainment has become
so widespread in the U.S that it could be called the norm. Over 50 percent of
US homes own a smartphone and over 20 percent own a tablet.
Times are changing and I'm not saying kids don't outside anymore, if that were true, the government would feel bad about closing public parks to save money, and there wouldn't be so many community activities for the youth.(smirk)
I believe Mobile devices are the best thing to hit the earth since sliced bread, but as with the problem with obesity; people must learn Moderation.
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