Get out and play!

For the millennials, a world without electronic gadgets may seem unthinkable, but as many point out, there is an urgent and pressing need for the younger generation to get outdoors and indulge in some form of physical activity and social interaction.  

As well-known industrialist Harsh Goenka recently tweeted, “I’m so grateful that my childhood was filled with imagination, stories and bruises in the field instead of being in the world of iPads, apps and counting likes on Instagram (sic).”

It’s a telling comment on the state of affairs today. Earlier, parents would take their children out on vacations and picnics every summer while kids would gather every evening in the colony streets to play games. Recalling his own childhood, Suryaveer Singh, a hotelier says, “My family used to plan a short picnic every weekend. Family and colony tournaments were my favourites. We used to play on the roads but it is just not safe now.”

He adds, “My parents always made sure I was into outdoor activities. Nowadays, parents use electronic gadgets to keep their children busy.  The world has forgotten that physical fitness is the key to mental peace.”

Outdoor activities not only give kids a chance to play, but also makes them more disciplined. Well known shuttler Jwala Gutta shares, “My childhood was filled with outdoor activities like swimming, cricket, volleyball and badminton. I was busy all the time.”

The era without gadgets was indeed a very different world. “I used to go to my village during the summer vacations. My friend and I used to enjoy swimming. We didn’t have iPads or computers which made our childhood more fun,” says Aruna Bahuguna, former Director of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy. She adds, “Like me, my children love camping and trekking too.”

Parents thus have a vital role in motivating their kids to go out and play. Artist Laxman Aelay agrees and shares, “Parents must put their kids in summer camps. Growing up, we never had video games. We used to play a lot of outdoor games like volleyball and kabaddi. In fact, I still send my children to their grandparents’ house and for camping in their free time.”

Well known orthopedic surgeon Dr Gurava Reddy states, “If children are not engaged in any physical activities, their body will lack in vitamins and it will make them weak.” Reminiscing his own childhood days, he adds, “I used to play a lot, in fact in the muddiest of playgrounds! Nowadays, a few schools do not even have playgrounds. This has made children very lazy.”

The founder of Kalakriti Art Gallery, Prshant Lahoti shares, “Parents should take their children for outdoor activities, like my parents did in my childhood. I didn’t even know what video games were. Playing gully-cricket made my day back then.”