Digital Era
As technology has become more advanced so have the uses for it. People now use technology for even the most basic chores, for example washing the dishes in our own homes has become a thing of the past. Machines now do most of our daily chores for us with the click of a button. While this technology may be great, people are now missing out on trips to the supermarket, bank and shops, which will help them to get daily bursts of physical activity. I noticed the increase in sedentary behaviour among children is most prevalent on Christmas day. Most of my neighbours have children and on Christmas day, it’s like a tradition in my neighbourhood, as soon as the kids open their presents they are out on the green playing with them. I’ve noticed each year there are less and less children filling the green and neighbourhood on Christmas day. I began to wonder why this was, so I asked them. It turns out that kids are getting consoles and phones for Christmas now as opposed to bikes and soccer balls like when I was growing up. This was the first eye opener for me pointing to the sedentary lifestyle of children in this new era.
Technology
Technology and the Media
The Negative Effects of the Growth of Technology
Sitting Disease
P.E. on Curriculum
The education system must be amended to aid physical education and nutrition. If these modules were added to the curriculum, children could actively learn how to improve health and well-being through exercise and a good diet. If you look at countries that have given practical outdoor education and well-being priority in the education system such as Finland, you will see overwhelming success. Finland is ranked as one of the top countries in the western world regarding its educational approach. The students have the least hours allocated for class time per week and balance physical activity within these hours. Ireland should look to emulate the successful education systems such as the Finnish one, which might help combat against sedentary behaviours within children.
What do Children Need? More Outdoor Recreational Time
Children must allocate time to play outdoors and get dirt in their fingernails and grubby knees and overcome physical challenges such as getting to the top of a tree, they might fall and scrape their knee, and it might take days or weeks to get to the top but when they do it will boost confidence. I think it’s very important for kids to experience obstacles like these at an early age and implement strategies to overcome them as obstacles are inevitable in life and how to overcome them is a lesson you cannot learn from a book or a console. I think outdoor recreation is a fantastic medium for teaching children to stretch the boundaries and instil the belief that you can do anything you put your mind to. These important life lessons coming in the form of climbing a tree cannot be learned if the kid is sitting inside on the couch playing the PlayStation. Therefore, it is important for children to have the freedom to play outside without parents out with a health and safety inspector to risk assess the children’s every breath. They may come back in with grazes on their knees and grass stains on their clothes, but this is a vital part children’s cognitive physical and emotional development.
People need good childhood memories, don’t be the person who gets in the way of this.
4th Year Recreation and Sport Management Student