Imagine your childhood. If you were born before the 2000s, chances are high that you were brought up in a place where there was enough space to grow. I am talking big fields, open space, green grass, a makeshift Goalpost or 3 holes in the middle of the field for the stumps for a cricket match. It was always outdoor sports that dominated. Every year, when new international tournaments came close, the craze would be seen at the field as well. Although not everyone couldn’t afford the sporting instruments, they would manage it anyhow. If they couldn’t, it would be much more fun to see the creativity for the makeshifts. A cricket bat made of wooden planks and a ball made of light and porous wood. It was imperfect, but natural. Kids would get fresh air and rain, although parents would scold for playing in the rain, but you missed your childhood if you never played an intense football match during rain and got drenched in muddy water.
The reason behind talking about this imperfect yet natural source
of entertainment is that we are advancing towards a generation where open
space seems scarce, and nature is not well enough to help kids to embrace a healthy childhood. Parents are shifting towards easier and more convenient options,
that is Indoor Playground.
Indoor playgrounds mostly work to accommodate toddlers and
kids from 3 to 12 years old. One of the major concerns of parents in favor of
indoor playgrounds revolves around the issue of safety and surveillance. In case
of safety, parents feel safe to play with their kids or to keep them under
their eye. And outdoor games mostly focus on social skills and adaptive
measures. Lots of benefits could be discussed about Indoor playground, but in
terms of psychological and physical growth, the major criticism lies.
According to studies (Yunlong Luo
et. al.), Plastic toys are susceptible to releasing nano and microplastics, which
can enter the human body easily and cause different biological problems. In the case of an indoor playground, the risk is much higher as the toys are more frequently used
and scratched. This creates a health hazard at a very young age with can be
serious if not regulated.
And the psychological term is a bit complex to explain and understand.
In most cases, kids tend to grow with mentality and psychological state,
depending on their environment, social surrounding and experiences. In the
current time period, the generation is growing in the most nuclear states, where the nuclearity of families and kids is increasing rapidly. Kids are much more convenient
in terms of online communication, and physical-social communicative skills are declining
at an exponential rate. This is mostly caused by the growth of the brain in such an
environment, where human interaction is much limited. That is mostly setting
newer generation really apart from older generation in terms of social skills.
That being said, in a destructive spiral of destroying nature
and causing playground scarcity by adopting the convenient option of Indoor
playground, we are pushing away a better alternative and brighter future for our
new generation. The artificiality of natural recreation will soon engulf other
sectors, and the influence will be visible really soon. Good Luck!
