Throughout the world, the time youth spend indoors is increasing rapidly. This situation stems from the lack of motivation for children to leave their houses. As such, to combat it, parents should sternly discipline their children and build them a healthy habit.
Children and teenagers nowadays have fewer reasons to go out compared to past youth. Advancement in technology created convenience. Because of this modern convenience, youth don’t have to hang out with their friends to have fun anymore – they can just communicate online or play games instead. Moreover, urbanisation took away many playgrounds from teenagers. Having less space dedicated to them outdoors, juveniles are naturally inclined to stay in their homes. For example, in a local survey in Hanoi, most children living in highly industrialized area reported that they spent most of their time playing games or watching short videos aimlessly, while teenagers in the outskirts were more physically active with sports and field works, signifying the importance of outdoor playgrounds.
To deal with this situation, parents should sternly educate their children about the benefits of outdoor activities and the consequences of staying indoor excessively. By limitting their screen time and encouraging them to go outside, parents will create a healthier habit for their children – who are young and easily influenced, making the change more effective. Such habit will make children spends less time indoors, alleviating the problem. From my personal experience, having my mother jogged with me around a nearby lake from a young age made me leave my house for the lake more, noticeably raised my time outside.
While advancement in quality of life leaves youth with fewer reasons to leave their houses, parents’ effort can raise their children’s awareness and motivate them. Therefore, it is not an overstatement to say that parents play a key role in solving this problem.