Protecting the Magic of Childhood
By Alex Cortez
It is an all too known saying that the more connected the world has become by technology, the more disconnected we have become to each other. Modern children have more options than ever before at the palm of their hands. Yet there is a fear by the adult who wish to see them thrive that these options have taken the whimsical nature from childhood, demystifying the wonder innate to kids. All children grow up, that is inescapable, but not all children grow up at the same rate. In the modern age, the internet has caused children the world over to grow up, seeing content often unfiltered. With that fear in the minds of parents, some wonder what they can do to make sure their children may still enjoy the wonder of childhood for even a day longer.
Image Source: Ihnatsi Yfull (unsplash.com)
Some have taken action, so that even if only for another day, their children may yet remain in that wonder for but a day more. At the C. Blythe Andrews Library on February 28 th , 2026, local residents set up a fun activity day within one of the libraries rooms. The goal of these volunteers is too encourage any child to visits to engage in the activities, to work from one of nine stations, the ultimate goal to complete all of them to earn prizes. Volunteers believe heavily in this mission, those I interviewed spoke much of the passion they have for helping children. They also spoke of their fears of the future of the next generation should these events be nonexistent and children forget how to earn by the merit of their hard work.
The event was originally designed to be outdoors within the library’s walls; however weather forced the event to be inside. While it is commendable to see the adaptation of the volunteers, this did raise concern. One of the events was reliant on technology, a dancing game, Dance Revolution, using YouTube rather than a gaming console. Certainly, this was a conflict in their mission, though it kept the children moving, and thankfully the other events were still participated in without the forceful hand of a parent.
Image Source: Luba Glazunova (unsplash.com)
I spoke to a parent who came to the event. His convictions on these matters were strong, seeking to ensure his children would not be so reliant. He was grateful to the volunteers so that his efforts to help his children were not alone. While not a perfect execution, it is one that inspires a great amount of hope and certainly held a lot of heart.
