Are children spoiled today?
Tony / Mozambique
I would say, maybe children are spoiled, because I remember when I was younger, like we had to work hard if we wanted to get something from our parents. Or even the stories you hear from your parents, they're basically used to say the same thing, "If you want to get something, you need to work hard for it." But nowadays, maybe some children don't work hard but they still get certain things although they didn't work hard.
Katia / Mexico
I think children right now are more deprived than spoiled. Unfortunately, I believe that many parents are trying to protect their children a little bit too much, so they're deprived of many things, like creativity or spontaneity or curiosity. So, definitely, I think children are deprived.
Paul / England
I think children are deprived due to the reduction of clean and safe play environments. When I speak to my parents or grandparents, they tell me about, you know, times when they used to play in the river or play in the forest; whereas now, it's very- children are quite restricted. There's a lot of concern about people who are going to do bad things to their children, and I think it's very restrictive. So, in a sense, I feel that children are deprived these days.
Kat / Germany
I know a popular opinion is that children nowadays are spoiled, but I don't really think so. I think that there are a lot of things that children had maybe fifty or a hundred years ago that they don't have anymore. Nowadays, so many people are divorced, and their children are just living with one parent. That is a good example for how children nowadays can be very deprived.
Gareth / England
I think kids these days are deprived of nature. I think most children grow up in big cities, and I think there's this urban sprawl that's happening, where cities are becoming bigger and encroaching on the natural countryside. So, I believe that children are deprived from nature, from climbing trees and playing in ponds and rivers, and stuff like that.
Tim / United States
In America, I think children are very spoiled. A lot of them have things handed to them; they don't have to work very hard. So, for sixteenth birthday, parents will give their kids a car, or their kids won't have to work very hard to pay for school or college or anything like that. So, they don't have anything to challenge themselves, because their parents give them everything.
deprived
I think children right now are more deprived than spoiled.
When you are deprived of something, that means you do not get something that most others do. Notice the following:
- He was deprived on an education, but he still became a successful businessman.
- The prisoners were deprived of any contact from the outside world.
spontaneity
Kids are deprived of many things, like creativity or spontaneity or curiosity.
Spontaneity is the ability to do some meaningful action in the moment without planning. Notice the following:
- Spontaneity is a great way to keep a relationship fresh.
- Teachers us spontaneity to keep students interested.
restrictive
I think it's very restrictive.
When something is restrictive it limits what you can do. Notice the following:
- Food options for vegetarians is very restrictive.
- That park is very restrictive. You can't walk on the grass or play sports.
urban sprawl
I think there's this urban sprawl that's happening.
Urban sprawl is the outward growth of a city. Notice the following:
- As the population of the city grew, so did urban sprawl.
- Urban sprawl is a big problem in many major cities.
have things handed to
A lot of kids have things handed to them.
When someone gets things handed to them, they get them without having to work for them. Notice the following:
- Because he was rich, he was always having things handed to him.
- You just can't expect to have things handed to you. You have to earn them.
Vocabulary Quiz
urban sprawl • handed
