What I See with Peter Fiorenza: Holidays a reminder that many of today’s kids need life scripted for them

School holidays are here again. I know I’m not alone in the feeling that the year is moving at a frenetic pace. When I think back to my school holidays, they were always a time spent with the neighbourhood kids, my cousins, and maybe going on a trip to Perth. And there was always the re-runs of Banana Splits episodes and endless American cartoons on ABC television. We were allowed to watch TV during the day, make milkshakes from powdered milk and spend time at the deli eating hot chips and playing Space Invaders. Often, we’d head off on our bikes in the morning, only to return home just as the sun was going down. You see, I was a kid in the 1970s and 80s, a time when it seemed the simple things in life were enough to keep youngsters happy and content. Maybe, I’m looking through rose-coloured glasses, but I really do feel for the current crop of kids. I can always remember spending a good deal of holiday time with my cousins at my Nanna’s place. Often, it was a case of making our own fun, which I admit sometimes got us in a little trouble, but created memories that remain to this day. Today’s kids, in general, want or, in fact, need life scripted for them. Don’t get me wrong, this is more of an observation than a criticism. We are all the product of our environment and due to advances in technology and how it is used, today’s generation has become very reliant on life being presented to them much like a dinner buffet. Parents are expected to create the entertainment options, like a search engine on Google, because initiative simply doesn’t seem to be part of their make up or psyche. For me, it’s sad to think that a 12-to-14-year-old would be quite happy spending the school holidays at home on the couch all day with their laptop. Maybe I’m being a little harsh on our kids, but what’s wrong with going camping up the beach with our mates or riding our bikes up the river — actually spending time with others out and about? You know what? In 2023, there is a lot wrong with such activities, where the bad side of human nature has in many ways resulted in our youngsters being cocooned. For many parents in this 21st century, these activities cause a lot of worry, because negative social ineptness by many in our world has destroyed what was indeed the beautiful innocence of the past. Peter Fiorenza hosts Fiorenza on Sunday between 10am and noon on Radio MAMA