Editorial: A Child No More

In response to last week's Daily News article about changing summer camp activities and taking away childrens' favorite games, I could not sit back and let this one slide. I had to chime in. The following is my editorial on why I think the new state law regarding increased attention and oversight at indoor summer camps is outrageous.

We live in a world of technology. A world where you don’t even have to put on pants to go shopping. A world where you can talk to thousands of strangers in less than a second, just by clicking a button. A world where playing outside is no longer safe?

Well, according to the New York State Health Department, it is. In an effort to increase camp safety regulations, state bureaucrats are now discouraging children from playing Wiffle Ball, kickball, dodgeball, and tag this summer. Apparently, they believe these good ol’ traditional summertime games are “unsafe” and officials would feel more comfortable with children spending their beautiful summer days inside the four walls, glued to the television playing video games. Isn’t obesity a big enough problem in children?

That’s right a rubber ball, a hollow plastic bat, and running around are now, after all of these years, too dangerous for our children to take part in. Children are already growing up in a world where face-to-face contact is becoming less and less frequent, and now this. Isn’t it bad enough that 10-year-olds have cell phones, Facebook pages, twitter accounts, and four video game systems? Now state officials want to take away the only “real” social activity children have these days.

This just in. Running, walking and waking up before noon have now been declared risky and therefore, frowned upon. I mean, come on, what is this world coming to? What would our grandparents have to say about this?

You’re only a child once. Let them enjoy their childhood. Let them play.