There was a time when being a kid meant something. You can walk into a toy store and see something you like. You can turn on the TV and there was something for you to watch. You can even go on the internet and there is a site for you.
However, things are different now. I went to Toys R Us a few times over the last couple of years, just to see what was around. It’s not the same as I remember it ten years ago. No more was there a sufficient video game section. Even the regular toy shelves at times felt hollow. Sure I see kids playing whenever I pass by a playground, but sometimes I see babies just staring at a phone which breaks my heart. They should get to play with toys that fulfill their imaginations.
I also see children’s television once in a while, mostly by accident. I don’t remember what was on, but it wasn’t the quality shows I remember like Four Square, Mister Maker, and Crazy Quilt. I’m well aware that new kids’ shows aren’t made for people like me, but I know quality kids’ shows. It makes me feel bad for future generations who probably won’t see these shows unless the parents raise their kids right and try to find these shows online for them to watch.
Easily one of the biggest losses over the last few years was Adobe Flash. It stopped getting support back in 2020. Adobe Flash runs a lot of our favourite websites as elementary school kids such as Cool Math Games. You think since kids are being handed over devices even younger these days that those websites would stay relevant. But we all know that’s not the case. There’s still some stuff out there for them such as YouTube kids but the algorithm isn’t perfect and some videos that are not made for them will slip through. There are probably sites made for them still out there but some of the ones I went on that I can’t remember are mostly gone or don’t function right.
Okay but this is actually related to something I've been thinking about; I think the fact that there aren't websites specifically for kids anymore is going to do a lot of long-term damage. https://t.co/7BiIwXMLSI
— aimée ☭ 🇮🇪🇵🇸 (@sapphyreblayze) January 10, 2023
Kids today deserve better. They should get quality TV shows, a vast toy selection, and websites that they will enjoy. Hopefully in the next few years, things will change for them.