How does boredom affect children who are trapped living in the suburban environment?
How doesn’t long-term boredom affect a child’s outcome? There has been much documentation on the causes of boredom that leads children to other unfavorable outcomes in their continuing lives. As discussed, suburban developments leave residents with little to no room for outdoor leisure, walking areas, or social commons to gather in (pg 1&2, time: obesity crisis). Playing fields, grass areas and play grounds are out of reach unless a parent is available to chauffer their children to the areas (pg 116, suburban nation). As children, they have no option to leave their cookie-cutter home unless there is someone to take them elsewhere. Boredom doesn’t stop at childhood, sadly, the outcomes are worse in teenage years. Suicide rates and car accidents in teens have been recently correlated with urban sprawl (pg 119-20, suburban nation). Sociologists associate teen isolation and boredom as a contributing factor in teen suicide.
On top of these factors, obesity of course is taking America by storm. Unfortunately at all ages, Americans are suffering from obesity. According to a recent study, from year 2000 to 2010, "Nearly 34 percent of adults are obese, more than double the percentage 30 years ago. The share of obese children tripled during that time to 17 percent (NYTimes, 2010) To add boremdom into this equation, when children and teens have nothing else to do and have nowhere else to go, they overeat- boredom has a direct relationship with obesity (Hartman, Obesity News).
Again, suburban neighborhoods are correlated with boredom because children are rarely able to get outside, go for a walk, meet at social commons, or go to the playing fields to pass the time. In turn, they watch endless amounts of television, play endless amounts of video games, eat endless amounts of unhealthy food and the list goes on. Even though location may not seem to have much of an impact on a childhood…it could have everything to do with their outcome. These factors should be taken into the utmost consideration when it comes time to raising a family.
krystal i thought that you wrote a pretty convenience argument. it was aggressive and very much supported with evidence. overall it was quite persuaive...we all know there is such complexity to the cause of boredom in suburbia but you did a great establishing the effects of it.
ReplyDeleteKrystal,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with the different outcomes children and teenagers face in terms of their relationships with suburbia. I'm curious to know what it is about the transission in age and dependence that makes the adjustment more radical? As children, it seems as though suburbia and its relative confinement is a norm that is adapted. Suicide came as a shock to me when I first introduced as a consequence of suburbia. I can see the relationship of course, but teenagers are oblivious to suburbia. It is the lifestyle that consumes these houses and the families within them. What point is the line drawn in the division to what damage has actually been done because of suburban sprawl? So much of socialization plays into account of teenage years, and I know that a lot of rebellion with parents occur during this age. There are so many differing factors in what causes this unhappiness, and we can only assume what effects suburbia has. The Truman Show, a great film starring Jim Carey, expresses how I sometimes feel now about suburbia. I feel like I've been lied to because such issues have never been addressed. Why do we all live the way we do? The environments that are provided by suburbia are not worthy of our time. I love the TED talk with Hunstler talking about how this is not a country worth defending. We are living through motions, following the direction franchises, such as Walgreens and CVS, want us to follow. Do you think that if the realizations of suburbia were addressed in schools, that this desperate generation of children will act and change their lifestyles? Take advantage of a time to change and do just that?