August 24, 2011

Are Kids These Days Less Creative?

Last month, Nickelodeon made headlines when they announced that they were bringing back the 90s by dedicating a block of time on Monday nights to air some of their top hits from the decade: Pete and Pete, Kenan and Kel, All That, etc. This, in turn, incited conversations of the “vintage” treatment these shows were receiving — time for children has sped up so quickly that more than just nostalgic, the 90s are … old.

Despite the rapidity with which technology is changing, and all of the new gadgets and apps and choices that this generation of children is faced with every day, new studies are revealing that levels of creativity are decreasing. With overbooked schedules and more time spent in front of a computer than in more natural environments that encourage imagination, pretend, and interaction with a world that isn’t a touch screen, the nurturing of creativity — both in and out of the classroom — is decreasing.

The problem is that while the world of a child, and the world around children, is drastically changing, what worked just fine 20 years ago (those vintage 90s) is completely irrelevant now. Testing, ways of engaging children, exercises sparking creativity — continuing to ground these practices in methods of the past will only thwart the creativity and mind expansion of children in the classroom.

It’s the Creativity Crisis. And It — along with the Debt Crisis, the Job Market Crisis, the Housing Market Crisis, and the Education Crisis — points to the fact that everything’s moving too quickly and our resources, both mentally and physically, are struggling to keep up.

So, as a parent, what do you do? You engage your child in activities outside of their iPad, the television, or a computer. Keep them reading, writing and experimenting with language and words so that their minds are staying active in resourceful ways that will enhance and ground their experiences as adults. And make them be active! Kids “back in the day” used to play outside and eat real foods (did you know that Cheetohs are not actually a food? As in, they can’t even be labeled “food” because they are inundated with so many chemicals that there is actually no trace of a nutritional or sustainable substance within the confines of their hot orangey-ness?). They weren’t tortured by the Obesity Crisis, and they naturally engaged their bodies in healthy activity on a daily basis. To enact, or support, a world in which these things cease to exist is to support a pattern of mindless behavior that will feast on your child’s creativity — a reality that isn’t ideal for any parent, or child.

Also: there’s even more research showing that Right Brainers (the creative ones) are slowly taking over. The entrepreneurial spirit that has developed in light of the lack of jobs has made way for a whole new set of careers grounded in the creative process and unique applications of emerging technologies and social ideologies.

Bottom line: keep creativity in your household. In this latest in the series of Crises, your child needs it.