Letter: Technology taking kids away from fun

Having lived eight decades, it's a new dawn. I've seen a lot of new technology come forth, the most prominent being television and computers. It makes one wonder what was life without them? It's fun to be in the same decade with the young people, and enjoy the new technology offered. But there's a negative aspect to it.

The Internet is a magic lantern, but can take a child's time away from outside activities. In a year a child spends more time in front of the TV than he does in school, and not spending time interacting with others outside. In the last three decades I've seen a rise in childhood obesity because of lack of exercise and poor eating habits, setting them on a course for lifetime health problems.

When was the last time you saw a kid fly a kite, climb a tree, or cut the front lawn? I used to play basketball in the park until dark; there were no distractions from outside activities then. Were kids healthier then? Yes, it was rare to see an obese child!

We didn't have enough to eat and ran all day long; now obesity is an epidemic because of all the telecommunications, and technology available to kids. Kids today are missing the gift of being a kid playing outside; instead, they are playing addictive video games waiting to grow up.

Gil Harris

Upland