When I was a kid, life was beautifully basic. My biggest dream? Watching Tom and Jerry after school. I’d run around all day with my friends, return home looking like I had rolled through a dust storm, and still manage to do my homework before bed. No filters, no fire emojis—just dirt on my knees and joy in my heart.

Today’s kids? They come with a built-in screen. Reels have taken over their lives like a villain in a daily soap—dramatic, loud, and absolutely everywhere.

Let me confess: as a child, I once believed that if a boy kissed a girl, she’d instantly get pregnant. It took 9th-grade biology and a very awkward diagram session to correct that. Why? Because our access to “adult” content was zero. Unlike today, where kids learn everything (and then some) from 15-second reels featuring people who probably shouldn’t be giving advice at all.

Back then, entertainment was an event.

Wednesdays meant Rangoli, Sundays brought Surabhi, and Friday matinee shows surprised us with random movies that sometimes had more melodrama than plot. We waited for these moments. And that wait made them special.

Now? One swipe, and kids are in a vortex of dance trends, fake pranks, and life advice from 19-year-olds wearing sunglasses indoors.

And let’s not ignore the vocabulary upgrade. While I was still figuring out the difference between “adjective” and “adverb,” today’s kids are casually dropping terms like “rizz,” “slay,” and “main character energy.” I had “main character energy” once—it was when I got to hold the class water bottle.

But jokes aside, it’s worrying.

Reels are shortening attention spans, normalizing unrealistic lifestyles, and replacing playtime with screen time. Kids aren’t climbing trees—they’re climbing follower counts. And the only outdoor activity they know is filming TikToks on their rooftop.

So, what do we do?

Limit screen time (even if it feels like a punishment to them).

Encourage actual hobbies—drawing, dancing, storytelling, or simply getting muddy in the rain.

Be present—talk to them, laugh with them, and maybe show them what Rangoli was.

Set the example—yes, that means putting down your phone too.

Let’s help them create memories worth remembering—not just moments curated for likes. Let them believe silly things, run outside till sunset, and live a little before the world tells them to grow up.

Because one day, they too should look back and say:

"Wow… that was childhood."

Not: “That reel went viral.”


- Manasa G. Hegde, Advocate Blogger.