“Playing on the computer” is now the second most favourite pastime among children aged five to eleven in the U.K, with only “make believe” proving more popular. While the Telegraph opted to report on the survey findings by celebrating the continued propensity for children to use their imaginations away from electronic devices – you get the sense we're supposed to think “phew!” – the increase in time children spend in front of a screen cannot be denied.
For example, “playing on the computer” has pushed bike riding – the second most popular pastime from the 1960s to the 1990s – down to third place, and has thus also shifted things like skipping, hide-and-seek, and building dens down the list too. But don't worry! Two thirds of children report that they enjoy playing outside, even when it's raining. So at least they're getting some exercise.
A spokesman for Sainsbury's, the supermarket chain that commissioned the survey (perhaps to find out why its skipping ropes are no longer selling quite as well), is reported as saying:
“It's the simple childhood activities that span the generations and old favourites are as popular as ever.”
While old favourites may still get a look in, it seems children have to be a little more selective with how they spend their time these days. The survey asked adults how much of their time was spent playing, and found that while they reported playing for at least 20 hours a week, today's children play less in total.
How did you spend your time as a kid? Did you sacrifice time playing outdoors for the sake of video games, or did you still manage to climb a few trees?