People think that children nowadays have more freedom. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Freedom is an abstract concept that cannot be adequately measured on any physical scales. However, many people incline to the view that children these days enjoy a more liberal life than previous generations. My opinion is utterly opposed on this issue for the following reasons.
One of the arguments put forth in support of the former statement is that the digital age presents an unparalleled opportunity for kids to gain access to a tremendous amount of information without geographical barriers. Ironically, the advent of the Internet is more of a mixed blessing. Indeed, the obvious merits of the world wide web cannot overshadow a worrying tendency of that growing addiction to electrical gadgets such as laptops, tablets or smartphones. Therefore, early exposure to the virtual world ended up erecting invisible boundaries, inducing kids’ estrangement from actual human interactions.
On the other hand, amidst a modern-day hectic world, there is an inordinate amount of pressure on young people to become successful artists, entrepreneurs or startup CEOs before the age of 30. Consequently, parents would compel their offspring to enroll in highest-paying college majors, oblivious to their utmost passion. In addition, adult supervision seems to be extending into every aspect of children’s lives. Take the recent arrest and jailing in US of a mother for abandoning her nine- year-old daughter to play alone in the park while she worked. In the current climate of obsession with children’s safety, parents who let their youngsters out of sight court the accusation of irresponsibility, if not gross negligence. However, this school of thought may accidentally cause the erosion of children’s freedom to engage with the world at will.
In conclusion, while the proliferation of the electronic devices could hamper children’s direct contact with the real world, parents may unintentionally impede a child from acquiring their innate dreams and fundamental life skills for being overprotective. Thus, I believe millennials feel confined rather than free during a hightech era.
