Topic > Childhood Then and Now: Differences and Similarities

From the 1990s and early 2000s to today, the experience of childhood has changed dramatically. Those who grew up in the '90s and early 2000s, also known as millennials, may remember coming home after a day of school and quickly finishing their evening homework so they could go out and play with the neighbor . They would play outside all night and return home just as the streetlights came on. However, those who grew up in the 2010s remember their childhood experiences as something completely different. They may remember coming home after school and submitting their homework online as soon as possible, so they could plug in their headphones and enjoy screen time before bed. Although the childhoods experienced by these different generations differ greatly in numerous ways due to the increase in technology in recent years, there are similarities that can also be seen as the difficulties of learning and growing up. These differences and similarities between childhood then and now are discussed in this essay. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In general, children growing up nowadays are less creative in their ways of entertainment. Most children in today's world have some type of personal electronic device that they carry with them every day to cure boredom. This means that if a child is bored, they will simply take out their phone and start playing games to keep their mind occupied. This can be seen with children as early as the young age of 2, right through to adolescence. It has become rare to find children of the current generation without an electronic device with them. However, in the rare case that the child does not have one of these devices, he is made fun of and transformed into an outcast because he is considered poor. This was not the case for millenials. As children, millennials often didn't have access to this technology because it could be expensive; therefore, they found their own ways to have fun. They often went out with their friends and played all kinds of imaginative games, such as playing at school or at home with their friends. Millennials didn't spend their free time with electronic devices, but they learned to create unique ways to entertain themselves. Children of the 90s and early 2000s often developed better communication skills as they grew up with their education. Society no longer requires children to participate in difficult or boring conversations as they have the option to plug in earbuds and ignore the world or can simply text during a conversation. First, their earbuds can cancel out the outside world and welcome them into their own personal world of solitude. However, this can lead to isolation and poor communication skills because the child does not have to expose himself and get involved in a conversation. Additionally, today's youth no longer have to talk to their friends or family in person, as they can text them. This causes children to have difficulty carrying on full face-to-face conversations simply because they feel it is not necessary. Since they can get a response from someone just as easily in seconds via text, they don't have in-person conversations with their friends to discuss things. This was not the case for Millennials. Millennials were told to listen to whoever was speaking to them and to show respect by actively engaging in the conversation, which included focusing on the speaker and making eye contact. They also didn't have thepossibility of covering your ears with headphones to avoid talking to someone. This helped them learn how to engage in a conversation, even if it wasn't one they wanted to have. The fact that they knew how to converse was a useful skill in other areas of life. This skill could be transferred to areas such as this work field, where it is highly valued by employers. Additionally, kids in the 90s and 2000s weren't able to text their friends all the time, which meant they had to talk about any problems or make plans in person, which in turn helped improve their ability to communicate. Millennials had to talk to people, which spurred greater communication skills. While kids of the '90s and 2000s may differ greatly from kids of the 2010s, these generations have one thing in common: Kids will be kids. Regardless of whether children grew up in today's tech-savvy world or in the 1990s, they will still be carefree and free-spirited as they explore the world around them. Throughout childhood, a child will make many mistakes and learn from them as they go. Children do not worry about the consequences that arise from their actions as they learn through their experiences. For example, in their childhood, millennials would go out after a good rain to play in the mud and make mud pies. With that, they may have decided to eat one, since it was a cake after all. From this they learn that dirt is not a tasty snack and don't try to make it again. This shows that the two generations are quite similar in this regard as children will do it today. Even now, kids try to climb over the fence and fall just to prove that they can do it, even if they get hurt in the process. Children today will make decisions similar to those of their millennial predecessors because they are young and their thinking process is not fully developed. For example, in the new world of electronics, another common place for children to make mistakes is online. Kids don't think before posting something on their Instagram for all the world to see. They might post something unkind about a friend from school or a secret that was revealed to them because they don't reflect on their actions. Both 90s and new age kids have been bumped, bruised and scratched and laughed only to end up doing it again. It doesn't matter when the child has grown up, as all children learn what not to do by doing it once or twice and seeing the result, even if it means a few cuts and scars along the way. Please note: This is just an example Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Overall, the childhoods of children of the 1990s and early 2000s compared to those of today's youth differed greatly, creating two unique sets of childhood experiences for children of both generations. The kids of the 90s and 2000s, the millennials, didn't have access to the abundance of technology available to today's generation. This allowed them to learn to communicate properly and also helped them use their imagination to invent new games to have fun. New age kids don't have the communication skills of the previous generation, as they have earbuds to block the conversation and the ability to avoid in-person conversations via text. These children also use less creativity in their daily lives since a ready-made app will grab their attention without forcing them to use imaginative skills to create their own fun. Despite their numerous,.