By Janeth L. Lacostales, faculty at the Department of Development Communication, Cebu Technological University-Barili Campus
One afternoon, as I was walking down the road to buy some snacks, a group of young people, aged twelve to fifteen, caught my attention. They were sitting in a circle, resting under a shady tamarind tree along the street, each of them holding their phone. I wondered why they were so busy and what kept them that way. As I walked toward them, I was amazed at how concentrated they were. When I got closer, I found out they were playing Mobile Legends—and they weren’t just playing; they were completely engrossed in it. I looked around. A few steps from us lay a barren field; it seemed so lonely these days. Why? Because the children of this generation, who are called “digital natives,” no longer know the fun of outdoor free play. These “digital natives” can go about their day looking at their phones and computers — playing games or checking their social media. Only a few have an interest in running, walking, and playing outside. Younger kids often even have a hard time sitting down for a few minutes without doing anything because most of them would call it “boring.” This generation is so hooked on gadgets, which have brought them into a major dilemma.
Back in the ‘90s, afternoons were so different. I could never forget the times when grandmothers would go around with a stick, looking for their grandchildren, telling them it was time for their afternoon nap. Children would slowly crawl to their mats to sleep while listening to the famous afternoon radio drama, “Handumanan Sa Usa ka Awit.” After sleeping, children would spend the entire afternoon playing, reading — some would even do nothing — until sundown. These afternoon scenarios may seem “boring” to the children of today’s generation, but back then, what seemed “boring” was actually fun and mind-engaging.
Children of the ‘90s could go for hours doing nothing but staring at passing motorcycles and cars along the street — imagining. Young people could even read five pocketbooks in a day without falling asleep because back then, reading was one of the most unique forms of recreation. They said books could even bring them to Mars, just by using their imagination. Nowadays, yes, gadgets can easily bring children to different places in just one click, but they pave the way to the death of imagination, and in turn, children have a hard time learning how to think.
These days, students rely on AI for their assignments, but back then, students intentionally read books, did strenuous research, and engaged in serious study. These days, people call online games a form of recreation, but back then, recreation was tumbang preso, dakop-dakop, tagu-taguan and balay-balay, which helped the young make real friends and create real interactions. This generation, which relies so much on gadgets, has lost the fun of reading, research, study and outside play. This is perhaps one of the reasons why this generation is very active but fails to be proactive. Young people today are very smart, but they usually have a hard time facing failures and difficulties.
Yes, digital and technological advancements are good when used properly and in the best way, but when misused, they create multiple types of damage in the minds of even the youngest generation — just as is happening today. Perhaps it’s not yet too late to redeem those “boring” afternoons if it means rekindling real interactions and mind-engaging activities that will greatly help today’s generation.
