Hi lovelies. I thought I’d make a different post from what I usually do today, and if you guys like it, maybe I’ll start doing them more regularly. I love posting everything fashion related, outfits, snapshots from my everyday life, decor, and all that, but it’s very rare that I talk to you guys about things that are on my mind. So today I thought I’d share something that I’ve been thinking about lately. I love all feedback I get from you guys, but my very favorite comments to read are the ones where you share your opinions on different subjects. You’re a really intelligent group of girls, and I love reading your thoughts and see the way you reflect on things. So here we go! Today’s theme is..
This quote! I posted it on Instagram a while back, but I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind. I’ve thought a lot about my childhood, and what it’s like to grow up today. Even though I was a teen only a decade ago, the world is so different that it almost can’t be compared.
When I think back at my childhood, most of my memories are from outside. Every single day after school I would meet up with my friends at the soccer field, and we would play soccer until it became dark outside. At home I would always play soccer or do other activities with my brother and dad in the garden, it didn’t matter if it snowed, rained or was sunny, we were outside.. I couldn’t care less about fashion or makeup, supermodels, glossy magazines, diets and all that sort of stuff, it was a world I hadn’t discovered yet. And that’s the way it should be, because I was a child.
One day I had bought a copy of ‘Det Nye’ at my way home from the soccer field, and my mom got upset and took it from me. She told me that I was way too young to read about makeup, sex tips, how to get a dream body, seeing all the photoshopped models and so on. I of course got so sad, but today I’m super thankful that my mom protected me from that world for as long as possible.
My relationship to technology was limited to the 10-15 minutes I got to spend on the family computer at MSN Messenger, which was only used to talk to my friends about when we would head to the soccer field.
Then we have 2014. Technology has taken over. All the things my mommy tried to protect me from in the glossy magazines, are now all over the web, Instagram, and everywhere around us. Everyone has an iPhone and their own laptop, and all the stuff children and teens have access to today scares the hell out of me. I mean, imagine scrolling down your Instagram feed when you were 12 years old. Pretty faces, skinny bodies, perfect outfits, healthy and of course gorgeous meals.. Thinking about those things shouldn’t be part of any childhood! I’m seriously already nervous about the day I have a child, and have to raise it in this incredibly superficial and technology-driven world.
Sometimes I can spend hours on Instagram looking through different profiles, and seriously, there are so many 12-years old girls who take the most breathtaking pictures of their perfect meals, perfect smoothies, perfect rooms, and of course with tons of selfies. I can’t even imagine what it’s like feeling that pressure at such a young age, when you haven’t even found your own identity yet. It’s hard enough feeling that pressure as an adult.
I one hundred percent agree with the quote, I’m so freakin’ glad I had a childhood before technology took over. And now I’m so curious to hear your thoughts!! If you could choose, would you want to grow up when you did, or today? I almost hope some of you disagree with me, just to get some different inputs.
Marilou says
I feel the exact same. My childhood was all about turning my bedoom into a whole new imaginary world and role play for hours with my little sister, meeting our friends on late summer nights on our bikes or playing soccer together! I feel so lucky I experienced. The pressure for teenagers and kids is insane nowadays!
Anna says
Jeg er så ENIG.
I motsetning til deg så tok aldri mamma fra meg noen blader da jeg var yngre. Og jeg begynte kanskje å lese dameblader fast da jeg var 13-14. Noe jeg per i dag mener er ALT for tidlig.
Jeg kunne godt tenkt meg å vært like “beskyttet” som deg.
Nå har jeg nok ikke tatt særlig skade av det, da, da jeg aldri har drevet noen blogg eller poster bilder på Instagram.
Men at jeg var tidlig fokusert på voksenting, det tror jeg nok.
Jeg ser for øvrig mer og mer mobilselskaper f.eks. som reklamerer med å “slå av mobilen”. Litt ironisk, kanskje, men veldig nødvendig.
Selv skal jeg heretter prøve å tilbringe så lite tid som mulig på sosiale medier som f.eks. Facebook. Studier viser jo at jo mer tid man bruker på sosiale medier, jo mer føler man at man har “kastet bort tiden”. Rart, da jeg synes det er svært underholdende å spionere på andre, men helt sant! Jeg havner også i den kategorien. Jeg blir rett og slett sur av å være på Facebook o.l. :P
Så mindre mobil og sosiale medier fremover burde være et motto for alle :)
Fint at du poster noe annet enn Pinterest og klær på en søndag! :) Det setter jeg STOR pris på. Du er jo en veldig smart jente, og det trenger vi å høre mer av. For man virker jo ikke alltid like smart når alt man ser er sminke og klær :p
Fin blogg! Og fin jente!
Stor klem x
Guro says
Er såå enig med deg, utruleg glad eg fekk vokse opp i ein verden uten alt dette..
Renate says
jeg er helt enig med deg!! Syntes faktisk det er trist hvordan ting hsr blitt.. Har vært på besøk hvor det er barn, hvor de sitter på hver sin iPad/smartphone og spiller fremfor å leke sammen som jeg gjorde i min barndom. Det er faktisk litt sånn når vi er på restaurant eller er med venner nå også. Vi sitter og sjekker mobilen og må ta bilde av det isteden for å være tilstede.. Faktisk ganske trist.
Christina i London! says
Dette var en spennende og annerledes post! Jeg er helt enig med deg, og kunne jeg velge ville jeg definitivt valgt den barndommen jeg har hatt. Det er helt sinnsykt hvor mange jenter i 12-årsalderen som legger ut bilder på instagram og blogg, og ikke minst er det skremmende å se hvor bra de ser ut, om jeg kan si det. Jeg syns synd på de, de må jo føle et helt enormt press.. Jeg tør ikke tenke på hvordan jeg så ut som 12-åring i forhold til dagens tenåringer engang, men samtidig er jeg utrolig glad for at jeg ikke følte det presset og ikke brydde meg om hvordan jeg så ut da jeg gikk i syvende klasse! Jeg studerer psykologi og skal faktisk skrive bacheloroppgave om avhengighet av smarttelefoner og sosiale medier som Facebook og Instagram i år, og det er et utrolig spennende tema. Gøy med sånne her innlegg en gang i blant, Cathrine :) xxx http://www.thelondongirl.blogg.no
Mimi says
I can’t say anythings else than that I totally agree with you, but I would also be curious about the point of view of people who don’t agree.:) I grew up on the countryside and I also was aaaalways outside climbing in trees, walking around in the fields with friends, climbing on things, running and when I played inside I played with things like Lego. Later on when I got a bit older like around 12 or 13 I would spend my evening on msn messenger but my phone was not a part of my life at all. I almost never took it with me and never took pictures or anything and I didn’t have to be afraid of being ugly in pictures someone would post on a social network. I’m so happy I had the possibility to grow up innocent and without knowing the world outside of my life. Of course when I was 16 I wasn’t playing outside anymore all day and I started to discover the rest of the world but I’m glad it was after I really was a child. Now sometimes I get a little sad after writing essays all day at the computer, then reading blogs and surfing around on my tablet and whatsapping with friends all day, in the end the only thing I did was looking at a screen all day. Fortunately not all my days are like this. :P
I don’t know yet how to do this with my future children, but I don’t want them to become like technology dependants..
Christina says
Takk for at du postet dette!!! Føler meg ofte alene og unormal om at verden er blitt helt sinnsyk…
cathrineheienberg@gmail.com says
Ja, det er faktisk trist :/
cathrineheienberg@gmail.com says
You’re not alone!
cathrineheienberg@gmail.com says
Åh, helt enig! Oi så spennende, masse lykke til med den :) Kjempeinteressant tema! Klem
cathrineheienberg@gmail.com says
Tusen takk for kjempefin kommentar! Jeg er helt enig med deg, MÅ bli flinkere til å legge vekk mobilen og heller leve mer i øyeblikkene. Kjempegøy at du likte innlegget, takk for fine ord ♥
Birgit says
I totally agree with you. I spend my whole childhood outside or at the ice rink due to the fact that I was a figure skater.
At the age of ten, all of my friends already had a mobile phone and I was super jealous because my parents did not buy one for me … I was the only one of my friends without a phone and had to wait two more years to get one.
Today, it is toally normal that six year old have phones, and they do not only have phones, they have phones with limited access to the internet. My mum is a teacher for children age 10 – 14 and all of her students have mobile phones with internet. She always tells me horror stories of her 10-year-old kids who watch porn movies on their phones and send each other pictures of naked women. That is so weird. I mean, at the age of 10 you are a little child. You should play soccer or play with your dolls and not stare at your phones and watching porn movies … crazy world!
Kids and iphones.. says
I think it’s both…bless and cure at the same time. I see this with my little godchild. He is 20 months old and knows pretty good how to use an iphone or ipad. He knows how to use YouTube and stuff, he even skips the adverts! I do not give him my phone, cause I don’t want him to use technology. I think it’s okay when you’re in the car and you can show the kids some cartoons or videos, cause it’s hard to entertain them when they have to sit for a long time. It’s fine to show them videos or pictures, but they shouldn’t play with the phone…On the other hand, I have to admit that I am really impressed how he knows how to use it. A while ago he used to call people on their phones…so when I picked up my phone, he was giggling. Or when I called back, his mommy said that she didn’t called me:) Another point is, that we are able to caputre moments with the camera on the phone…if there wasn’t iphones I would have missed his first steps. We have more pictures and videos from his first 20 months, than from my whole childhood. Or when I miss him and can’t make it to see him, I can call his mommy with facetime. I think we can’t stop it anyway, just do what you think is best and work for you. All in all there is a positive and a negative side in everything on this planet. By the way, it’s great that you shared your thoughts and asked us what we think…I really love fashion and beauty related posts, but from time to time this is really refreshing. Love your blog even more right now! Ok I have to go, my godson and his mommy are calling on facetime:D
Maria says
First of all i have to tell you that i love your blog and i love the fact that has a personal touch . Believe me when i say that your blog is one of a small number of blogs that i actually read and not just scroll down to see the beautiful pictures !
on the other hand you are in that “industry” where technology took over and you belong to the ones that use photoshop or lightroom to have the perfect light, the perfect angle, the perfect item at the perfect corner etc … Ok i know that you are trying to reach that subject from another point of view but we have to admit that every one has its part in all that ; bloggers “use” the technology to beautify their blogs and us readers , actually spend a great part of our day to read those blogs . so there is no wonder why younger people get stuck on tablets, blogs, smartphones etc. They see us ….!
to sum up i totally agree with you about us who enjoyed our childhood without a tablet in our hands , but you wanted disagreement in some point :p
Love ,
Maria from Athens, Greece <3
Krissy says
So, a bit late coming to this post, but like the other commenters I totally agree.
I grew up in the country side and didn’t actually even see a cell phone until I left highschool in 2004.
Now, I live in a city and work at a library. I see kids spend all day at the library (great right?!) playing on the computer, iPad or tablets. Because it is such a huge trend/movement we are creating more library programs for children using these devices. No content is censored.
It breaks my heart and worries me that children as young as 2 may not even get the chance to learn how to have fun playing with wooden blocks or chalkboards and simply using and exercising their imagination.
Glad you brought this topic up, because I think people forget just how fast things are changing, and maybe not for the better.
Krissy says
Sorry for the wall of text. Formatting is hard on mobile.
Camilla says
I totally agree! Now, I’m turning 18 in about a week, and to be honest, I’m so glad I wasn’t born a year later! In my childhood, I met up with my neighbour-friends and we biked around and talked, played in a small island of trees right by my house, jumped from stone to stone and went inside when our parents opened the door to tell us it was dinner. With other friends, we played with dolls or whatever. At school everyone went outside to actually have fun. As time went by, we got these electronic devices, and instead of playing with dolls or whatever, we started playing games on a Playstation Portable. My sister and I got a Playstation 2 after a while, and that was good fun, but luckily it never became “our life”. I hear 6th graders talking about playing violent games, and they do that everyday after school. When I grew up, I tried out all these night-time activities, and we had a “club” for teenagers to meet some nights, with lots to do and no alcohol, and I was perfectly fine by that. I did balet, gymnastics, horseriding, football, choir and theater during my growing up, and I made friends there with the same interests as me. I spent my weekends sometimes at a “theater-camp” with the friends from there, where we had rehearsals and played a lot of games and stuff..
I literally hear about 7th graders partying and getting drunk these days, and I am so happy I didn’t have my first zip of alcohol before I was like 17. My parents totally trust me not going out and getting drunk, that is just not my values just yet. I’m okay with a cider for dinner or on a summer night. I am reading a lot of magazines nowadays though, I like the world of fashion. But I also like reading ShapeUp, for the workout-advices and all, but I also know by myself that a lot of the magazines are fake. Especially after watching The September Issue. I love the movie, even though the thing it basically shows you is how cruel the world of fashion is. However, I think that is a good thing to know when you’re reading a lot of them. They are retouching everything, and barely anything is perfect before is it to Anna Wintour… I think, as long as we are aware of the intentions of these fashion magazines, and as long as we know our own good, go ahead, enjoy internet, magazines and instagram and whatever. But if these things get to you, then read some articles, watch some movies and see the truth before comparing yourself to the retouched and “perfect”.