Us old folks (40+) are probably lucky to be here:

[wa-loaf]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31670059/ns/health-kids_and_parenting/

LOL

 

[mondeo]

And we'll end up living into our 90s with the same mental and physical capacity as people in their 90s now. The only difference is everyone will be living that long.

One of the mistakes that I think humanity has made has been focusing on extending life, not extending quality life. Sure, heart disease has plummeted, but what about Alzheimer's?

 

[Johnskiismore]

That's pretty interesting, I will enjoy another frosty one while enjoying PDW!

 

[Beetlenut]

Ah yes, I remember as a kid, cruising down the highway at 80mph, standing up in the bench seat between my parents, with all the windows rolled down in the middle of the summer! My father saying something about having to burn the carbon off the plugs to keep the engine running good. But I didn't care what the reason was, I just loved the speed and the roar of the V-8! Never realizing for a second that I could be hamburger at any minute. Ah the good old days of blissful ignorance!

 

[billski]

I don't believe childhood is any more dangerous today than it was then. We as a society have become so paranoid about "safety first" because instant media access showing us the bloody details of the axe murderer moments after it happened. 50 years ago, when the axe murderer came to town, you usually found out a couple weeks later and the details were vague.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

I feel like people eat way more unhealthy foods now..the average adult American Male is 25 pounds more now than 30 years ago..and most people don't live to be 90...most tombstones I sell are for 65-85 year olds..many younger..

 

[Beetlenut]

I feel like people eat way more unhealthy foods now..the average adult American Male is 25 pounds more now than 30 years ago..and most people don't live to be 90...most tombstones I sell are for 65-85 year olds..many younger..

You're not alone in that thought,

http://www.foodincmovie.com/

 

[mlctvt]

I don't believe childhood is any more dangerous today than it was then. We as a society have become so paranoid about "safety first" because instant media access showing us the bloody details of the axe murderer moments after it happened. 50 years ago, when the axe murderer came to town, you usually found out a couple weeks later and the details were vague.

+1,
Is all perception and the expanded media coverage. I've read stats that there are no more serial killers and child molesters now than there were 20-30 years ago. We just hear about every case now. Years ago you would never have heard about some kid getting abducted in Iowa but you do now.

 

[dmc]

The stuff I did when I was a kid was pretty dangerous...

Not sayin kids don't do that stuff anymore... Just saying that I really recognize that i had dozens of chance to kill myself...

Between
- falling out of trees, haylofts,cliffs, bridges
- falling off of horses, motorbikes, bikes, shopping carts, gocarts.
- blowing up purchased fireworks, homemade fireworks, flammable mixtures
- Shooting bbguns, 22s, shotguns
- Fighting in school, on the street, in the yard...
- setting more things on fire then i can remember...

I think i make it pretty unscathed...

 

[wa-loaf]

I feel like people eat way more unhealthy foods now..the average adult American Male is 25 pounds more now than 30 years ago..and most people don't live to be 90...most tombstones I sell are for 65-85 year olds..many younger..

Part of it was we were much more active back then. I was always out of the house causing trouble with a bb gun or something. Video games and TV keep kids in more and parents aren't as comfortable just letting their kids out to roam free anymore.

 

[dmc]

Part of it was we were much more active back then. I was always out of the house causing trouble with a bb gun or something. Video games and TV keep kids in more and parents aren't as comfortable just letting their kids out to roam free anymore.

right... I was only inside to sleep....

We ate a ton of fried food when i was a kid... My Mom is from the south... Frying made crap food taste good...
I got the cast iron frying pan - 4th generation to own it.. Great grandmas....

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

When I was a kid..I watched alot of TV...and ate alot of crap but was always skinny...now I surf the internet 7 hours a day and eat alot of crap and am fat..

 

[severine]

Part of it was we were much more active back then. I was always out of the house causing trouble with a bb gun or something. Video games and TV keep kids in more and parents aren't as comfortable just letting their kids out to roam free anymore.

I agree. I know that I was outside almost all day as a kid and rarely watched TV, other than Saturday morning cartoons. Now, the thought of sending my kids outside alone terrifies me (and yes, I realize they're 4 and 2 but I mean even a few years from now)--and I just can't stay out there all day with them as I have things I need to get done as well. Perceptions may have changed, but living in the same town that I grew up in, in practically the same neighborhood, I can definitively say that it is a different world today. At least I know there were no drug dealers in my neighborhood as a kid. The same cannot be said about our neighborhood today and true or not, I consider that a threat to my kids' safety. But it's not just here and it's not just "bad" neighborhoods. There are things out there that are very real and still a threat to children's safety and I don't think that comes solely from being more aware of them.

 

[wa-loaf]

When I was a kid..I watched alot of TV...and ate alot of crap but was always skinny...now I surf the internet 7 hours a day and eat alot of crap and am fat..

That's just your metabolism.

There was just one fat kid in my grade school. Look at the grade school kids now and at least 1/2 of them are chubby.

 

[billski]

The stuff I did when I was a kid was pretty dangerous...

Not sayin kids don't do that stuff anymore... Just saying that I really recognize that i had dozens of chance to kill myself...

Between
- falling out of trees, haylofts,cliffs, bridges
- falling off of horses, motorbikes, bikes, shopping carts, gocarts.
- blowing up purchased fireworks, homemade fireworks, flammable mixtures
- Shooting bbguns, 22s, shotguns
- Fighting in school, on the street, in the yard...
- setting more things on fire then i can remember...

I think i make it pretty unscathed...

Ummm, that all seems rather "normal" to me!

 

[Greg]

My kids are outside as much as possible. My wife is really good about encouraging that. They play outside even if it's raining (lightly), cold, etc. We live in a quiet neighborhood full of kids and we pretty much all know each other and watch out for each others' kids and especially this summer they all sort of just come and go. My oldest is 6 1/2 and the 8 year old neighbor is now calling up to ask her to play and stuff. I love watching that as it reminds me of when I was a kid.

 

[severine]

My kids are outside as much as possible. My wife is really good about encouraging that. They play outside even if it's raining (lightly), cold, etc. We live in a quiet neighborhood full of kids and we pretty much all know each other and watch out for each others' kids and especially this summer they all sort of just come and go. My oldest is 6 1/2 and the 8 year old neighbor is now calling up to ask her to play and stuff. I love watching that as it reminds me of when I was a kid.

What helps about your neighborhood is that it's not a thru street. I grew up on a dead end street and the neighbors all kind of looked out for each other. Even in my parents' neighborhood now (they moved there when I was 12) it's the same idea, as it's a planned unit development and you'd only go there if you were going to someone's house. (Or looking for trouble, I suppose, but you don't drive through.) There is a significant difference between neighborhoods like that and streets where people drive through like bats out of hell. Even if I wasn't concerned about my neighbors' questionable guests, or the pedophiles in the radiating neighborhoods (look it up--you can find them online), I am worried about those who drive 40-50 mph on our street. There was a pretty bad accident a few years back because of someone speeding through and I'd hate for my kids' to take the brunt of that. So yes, we spend as much time as we can outside (which may seem like less than it is because I do have a laptop with wireless internet ) but I cannot be out there all the time and my kids are too young to be out alone. We do the best we can.

 

[billski]

I feel like people eat way more unhealthy foods now..the average adult American Male is 25 pounds more now than 30 years ago..and most people don't live to be 90...most tombstones I sell are for 65-85 year olds..many younger..

Well, that's only true since post-WW2 prosperity. Before that, most US families scraped by, we lived shorter lives, had lesser if any health care (my GM never went to the doc in her life.) We were poorer, ate lesser quality food and not necessarily a balance diet. Sure, we had gardens, had chickens, etc but it didn't make people more healthy. In Europe, one of the things that drove immigrants to the US were desparate living conditions, starvation was common in the predominantly rural lands. In my villages, it was common for men to die by 50 YO, due to stress and poor diet. All that bucolic scenerey masked the reality. Kid's growth was stunted due to poor diet.

So I'll agree with you on a near-term basis that we are getting worse thanks to the "information age." since we are in worse physical shape than ever before.

May I propose a "green PC" movement, where the computer power must be generated by a user on the treadmill. Saves electric, gets exercise. 15 mins of running gets you an hour on the 'puter. :dunce:

 

[bvibert]

My kids are outside as much as possible. My wife is really good about encouraging that. They play outside even if it's raining (lightly), cold, etc. We live in a quiet neighborhood full of kids and we pretty much all know each other and watch out for each others' kids and especially this summer they all sort of just come and go. My oldest is 6 1/2 and the 8 year old neighbor is now calling up to ask her to play and stuff. I love watching that as it reminds me of when I was a kid.

Our up stair's neighbor has a son the same age as our daughter. They've been playing together, which is great, except the kid is relentlessly calling for us or our daughter through the screen door or open windows. He has no concept of privacy.

 

[severine]

Our up stair's neighbor has a son the same age as our daughter. They've been playing together, which is great, except the kid is relentlessly calling for us or our daughter through the screen door or open windows. He has no concept of privacy.

...or standing on the stairs naked calling for her. I didn't think we'd have to worry about nude men on the property looking for our daughter until she was MUCH older.