Are kids becoming less imaginative?

[branchinthevine]

I am not sure if this is the right place to ask this question, but I am a Sunday school teacher and considering becoming either a high school teacher or a elementary school teacher. I grew up in the 90s and live in the U.S. and have been teaching Sunday school since 2005 so I have seen a lot of developments in both teens and in elementary school age children. I primarily teach kids that are elementary school aged and I have been noticing several changes with kids and their personalities and I was curious if others have seen this too. One of the things I want to figure out, particularly before my job change is if I connect with kids enough that I would be able to make any sort of impact on their lives in the education system.

To start off I am not one of those teachers/people that holds the whole "kid's these days" view but I have felt that I am a growing a tiny bit out of touch with their world. For example, I was volunteering at a summer camp for kids(6-10ish) and their were puddles of water that were on a gravel road. One of the kids(7-8 year old) was looking at the water. I had made a little boat early during my lunch break and I had placed it in the puddle. The boat sank and the kid laughed for a second. Then I said that you should always hop into a puddle when you find one because you never know if one day you might fall into a different world/universe(or something to that effect). Anyway the kid because gave me a "your ridiculous" sort of look and pretty much walked away. Now, I realize that this is pretty silly and I get that most kids don't believe that and I wasn't expecting him to really believe that either, but I remember working at the same camp a several years earlier and saying something very similar to a little girl who IIRC was about a year younger then the boy. And when I told her that and started jumping into the puddles she began to jump into the puddles too and was giggling the whole time. And later in the day I found her jumping into the puddles again. It was really cute.

There are many, many more examples I could give. I would say that I am a fairly "goofy" teacher and I try to be fun when I can however, it just seems that kids--especially elementary aged children-- are not as imaginative as they used to be. I mean, they are certainly creative and I am astounded and proud every time we do a craft. They are amazingly smart and amazingly creative. But I remember growing up in the 90s and my parents instilling a sense of magic in me from a young age. I remember my Dad telling me that magic does exist and it's called science, and charms are our social skills! Also my early days of teaching were fond because I remember that the internet was just trying to become pretty big and it was crazy how kids were eager to learn how the big the world really was. It seemed like things felt new to them. Now they just seem bored.

Anyway, sorry if this sounds like a rant from an old man, it isn't. I am honestly curious, especially from other teachers, what their take on how kids are growing up now compared to just a decade or so earlier. Am I the only one seeing these things or are kids less imaginative these days?

Sincerely

Me!!

 

[samuelg29]

@branchinthevine I totally see this phenomenon taking place.
I think children are learning to become critical thinkers earlier in age.

Even in my family, my husband and I debated "believing in Santa" and the tooth fairy because we are an atheist family. We want to encourage critical thinking skills and magical fairy tale goes against that.

Children are less gullible now.

 

[tinytaytay]

@branchinthevine Clearly they’ve never watched peppa pig. All my kids wants to do is jump in puddles.

 

[luciano123]

@branchinthevine quite possibly. i'm not seeing it with my kids, but i give them boxes, pens, markers, Legos and the such. they have good imaginations.

they all have tablets but i lock down screen time (with an iron fist) seems to be a very workable balance.

 

[mariamiria]

@branchinthevine From what I've seen, parents don't seem to nurture the imaginative play any. They just through a screen at their offspring and let that raise them. Screens have a time and place, sure, and they make everything so much easier, but it's so much better to be offline. Even the majority of toys are electronic, it seems. I'm all for something that will repeat the alphabet 30 times for my toddler, but there mundane toys have the most possibility.

Hopefully my LO will appreciate her weird parents as she gets older.

 

[katrina2017]

@mariamiria Agreed fully. I had five stepkids from ages 3 on, and each Christmas they got a shared toy each that was not electronic, often card games like In a Pickle or building sets, a Perplexus, musical instruments, bikes.
It taught them to take turns (something they never did before), and it taught them to entertain themselves.

We also enforced 'outside time'. If it wasn't pouring down rain or snow, out they went, and sometimes they even went when it was. We had to teach them to be safe while they independently. explored, things like what the lights on the back of a car mean or how to use street signs or when + how to ask for help, and they had to remember all this plus how to get home.

I think there's evidence that kids who get this treatment end up smarter and more prosocial, so I think there's a good chance your kids will appreciate it.

Eventually.

In the meantime, it sounds like you're doing a great job and have some wonderful people.

 

[zetana]

@branchinthevine Could just be the difference between the two kids, there's no way of knowing. My kid would probably do both things - make a face as if to question you, and then have a blast jumping in the puddle anyway!