Kids In Danger
A mother of today complains:
I worry every time my son or daughter leaves the house. It’s like the whole neighbourhood is unsafe.
It feels like there are people outside that could put my children in danger everywhere.
Not so much strange men hanging around on the street corner, but older kids who could lead them into a life of petty crime. Or drinking alcohol. Or drugs.
It’s drugs that I worry about the most.
Ten years ago it was all computer games. Now everyone has a smartphone.
My son also wants one, but I am afraid of what things he will find online.
Or who he could meet.
The kids all use apps and they know how to access these apps. But we are told predators and other weirdos also use these apps.
And apart from that, phones just take over their lives.
You see kids outside and they might be sitting together in groups, but they are all bent over their phones.
I have read that it can cause anxiety or depression.
But the kids all use their phones to chat with their friends. So I don’t know what to say when my son keeps asking for a phone.
And every time I turn on the news, it seems there is a young child that has been abducted or lost an eye or caught some kind of disease.
It’s not like the old days.
My own mother tells me of a time when kids could play outside on their own. She said she went to the park, even a forest, and no one thought twice.
They didn’t have phones to play with and there were no weird chat rooms or things like TikTok.
I wish we could have days like that again…
________________________________________
These seem like very common concerns today for every parent.
The world outside – and online – seems to be full of danger.
But are their worries and concerns valid? Is the world really that dangerous for kids?
According to research, there is little chance of a child getting into any danger or hurting him or herself. But parents are still worried.
Probably because of all the media coverage they are exposed to 24 hours a day. The news today is an endless feed of things going wrong in society.
Just a few years ago, parents would allow their children to play outside unsupervised. Most of the time, there was no problem.
Kids would come home unscathed.
But today, there is an ever-growing list of things that parents will not let their children do. No matter whether they are supervised or not.
Such as climbing trees, riding a bike without a helmet or knee-pads, going out in the evening, going anywhere without a parent, and dropping by other kids’ homes without telling their parents.
Just one or two generations ago, kids would do these things all the time. Few of them ran into trouble. There were few accidents.
Then something changed.
In the last twenty years, parents just stopped letting their kids… be kids.
And then there are all the reports of the negative effect this has had on children today.
Children growing up with a sense of anxiety. The constant feeling that danger is ever lurking behind dark corners. Kids are also developing self-esteem issues.
Some people argue that if parents allowed their kids to climb trees, race their bikes on the street, and run around in parks unsupervised, they would gain a lot of confidence. They would develop into capable adults.
But today’s modern parents have a strong feeling to protect their children from the very world itself.
Reading Comprehension Questions
What is the mother worried about?
How many children does she have?
Is the woman worried about her children meeting strange adults outside?
What kind of dangers could older kids lead younger children into?
What is the mother worried about the most?
What digital item do all kids seem to have now according to the mother?
What kind of people does the mother think are on the apps?
What other issues does she talk about with kids using phones?
What does the mother’s own mother say about kids playing outside before?
According to the article, should parents be so worried about their kids today?
What could be blamed for making parents so worried?
Were children allowed to go outside unsupervised a few years ago?
Name five things that parents will not allow their kids to do today in the article.
According to the article, how does this affect children? What mental health issues are they likely to have?
What do some people suggest that could build kids’ self-confidence?
Essential Vocabulary
neighbourhood | hanging around | petty crime |
to access | predators | weirdos |
anxiety | depression | abducted |
the old days | chat room | common |
concerns | valid | according to sb or smth |
research | media coverage | exposed |
endless | feed | society |
unsupervised | unscathed | ever-growing |
helmet | knee-pads | to drop by |
generations | lurking | self-esteem |
confidence | capable |
Exercise
Write down all the words and phrases in your vocabulary notebook. Look in your dictionary and find the meaning of each word. Write the definition next to each word.
Then make up your own sentences using each word or phrase.
For example:
Notebook—a small book with pages of blank paper that students use to make notes when studying.
“I left my notebook at home so I was unable to make any notes in my English class.”
Discussion Questions
Do you think the mother is right to be worried?
When she uses the term ‘strange men’; what does she mean?
Do your parents — or did your parents — have the same concerns for you as a child?
What do today’s parents worry about in terms of their kids’ safety?
Is the world becoming more of a dangerous place for kids? In what way?
What are the dangers?
What is acceptable for kids to do today?
What is unacceptable?
Do kids today respect authority figures? Why/why not? Should they respect authority figures? Like who?
Whose job is it to teach/instruct kids about the dangers/risks in life? Parents? Teachers?
What do you think about kids using social media? What risks are there of them using this?
At what age should kids have their own phones? Should this be a law? Why/why not?
“Let kids be kids” – How much do you agree/disagree with this statement?
How can we help kids build confidence and self-esteem? Try to think of three methods to use.
What bad things did you do as a child?
If your parents caught you doing something bad or wrong as a child, what punishment did they give you?
Is the news media to blame for making parents worried about their kids? What should be done about it?
How was your life as a kid and your parents’ lives as kids different? What about your and your grandparents’ lives? Whose lives are better? Why?
Wait Till Your Father Gets Home!
This is a group activity.
Divide into groups of three or four students.
Imagine you are all parents. Or maybe you are parents!
Make a list of things you would let your child do. And things they definitely cannot do.
You must provide valid reasons why and why not. This is important!
When you are ready, present your list to the class!
Role Play
This is a role play activity.
There are two characters in the role play.
A parent — could be a mother or father
A teenage child — could be a son or a daughter
The Situation
The son or daughter is demanding to have their own smartphone.
All their friends have one and they want one too.
But the mother is very worried about the kind of apps that their son or daughter will use. They are also worried that their son or daughter will spend too much time on the phone.
Reasons for Owning a Phone
These are some possible reasons that the teenage child could argue for having their own phone.
All their friends have one. If they don’t have one, they will feel left out. They could be ostracized from social groups.
They can stay connected. Not just with friends — but with parents too!
They can use useful apps such as maps or dictionaries. This is useful for life and for school.
They can read books on their phone. No need to carry around lots of books in their bag every day.
They can take pics or videos and keep parents updated with their life.
Reasons for Not Owning a Phone
And these are some reasons that parents may not want their teenage child to own their own phone.
It is too distracting. The teenager would not be able to concentrate on school work or studying.
There are strange people on some apps. Teenagers could meet some dangerous people online.
There are growing concerns about mental health and social media.
The teenager will read fewer books.
Take some time to prepare your role play.
When you are ready, show the class!
Writing
This is a writing exercise.
Kids In Danger?
Write an article about your own life experience as a child or young person.
Are kids’ lives in danger?
Is modern life becoming more dangerous day by day?
In your article, talk about the dangers that you think exist in society for young people and children.
What can be done about these dangers?
Or maybe you think that modern life presents no dangers to young people.
Whatever your thoughts may be, write them down in your article.
When you have finished your writing, read it out loud in front of the class.
Or you can hand it to your teacher for feedback.
You can download the full lesson plan by clicking the link below!
You can also join my mailing list by clicking the link below. I will send you new guides, articles and lesson plans when I publish them.
Children are still children and innately human. It is the circumstances around growing up that are different, partly from the insidious effect of technology and the media. Let’s keep faith in human nature and provide more ways for their children to be physical, such as sports, crafts, arts and simply playing. This will help offset technology which may be robbing children of their childhood.
I agree 100%!