Thinking Outside the Xbox
2nd Place "This I Believe Essay"
by Michael Cattani
Summer nights growing up on a cul-de-sac, I remember anxiously awaiting dinner’s conclusion. Seven p.m. meant one thing: meeting in the middle of the circle to discuss the night’s agenda. Kick the Can, Ghost in the Grave Yard, Bloody Murder, Laser Tag…the lists seemed endless, but the fact remained: we were going to be outside until the infamous yell from the ’rentals was heard echoing down the street.
These were much simpler times and, although technology was on the rise and prevalent in day-to-day activities, it didn’t define us. I remember a time when cell phones had antennas, fax machines made sense, AOL was the king of processing, and the Internet’s slow start-up greeted you with a slew of noises and required a clear phone line. These “barbaric” times were some of the greatest of my life. I didn’t need technology to have fun, only the warm summer air and the company of close friends.
When I look at kids today, I don’t see a lack of happiness; I mean, let’s face it, a lot of modern American kids are spoiled beyond belief. However, I am seeing tons of kids missing out on the joys of being a young boy or girl, rolling around in the dirt, forcing Mom to buy tons of bleach. With the introduction of social networking websites, advancements in video games, and the interconnection of everyone via portable handheld devices, hanging out with friends face-to-face seems to have taken a back seat.
That is why I believe that it is the parent’s job to limit the use of this technological scuba and encourage kids to get outside. I feel kids are losing sight of what it is to interact with another human. When I talked with my little brother and asked him what he spends most of his time doing with his buddies, his response was, “Playing Xbox.” Video games were a big part of my childhood, too. After a day of playing outside, late nights playing video games in the basement with the TV on mute was a regular occurrence during the summer. But when I played video games as a kid, my friends were always sitting there with me. My brother went on to explain that he and his friends play online. He and his friends log hours on games together without ever setting foot in the same room. Although this is an amazing feature that allows people to link up across the world, it is hindering kids from getting together to hang out.
I am admittedly a technology junkie; from video games to Facebook, I dabble in a lot of it. But growing up with restricted access to tech toys built friendships and traits that helped define me as an individual. I only hope that with the encouragement of their parents, kids in this modern world will learn the value of face-to-face interaction and how to finally think outside the Xbox.
Cattani is a graduate of Catholic Memorial High School in Waukesha, Wis.