"WTF? - PLAYGROUND SAFETY STUDY"

Hi Friends!

Today's "WTF?" © stevenn beck

One of the local television news programs reported today that there has been a dramatic increase in playground injuries among children. Evidently a student from Yale university investigated the issue and came up with the conclusion that parents' increased utilization of cell phones was clearly an important reason for the increase. (Playground injuries went up 10% between 2005 and 2010….with a major spike in the year 2007.)

2007 was the year that the iPhone came into our lives.

The interesting thing to me is that the newspeople gave this story at least ten minutes, first reporting the results - and then debating the validity of the study, with the reporter at the scene of a playground coming up with at least 3 or 4 additional reasons why there could have been an increase in playground accidents. (This is without conducting any kind of additional study and obtaining supporting data….he merely stood in the middle of the playground and came up with his own hypothesis.) Finally - at the very end of the story - at the very end - the news anchorperson admitted that she also spends too much time on her iPhone at the playground and that the results of the study at Yale should be a "wake-up" call to parents, that they need to "focus more attention" on their kids.

Uhhh, ya think?

Go to any park in NYC on a beautiful, sunny day and it can be observed that almost (operative word: "almost" - there are always exceptions ) every adult is- on their cell phone, talking, texting, surfing etc. (And - BTW - the daily caregivers are probably the most guilty….they almost never get off the phone, it must be wonderful to be paid for a full days' utilization of their cell phone!)

Gee - I don't know - I PLAYED and INTERACTED with my child at the playground - it was great quality time - and she still has fond memories - as do I - of all the silly games and fun times we shared at playgrounds throughout NYC.

So…to the parents and caregivers who aren't focused on their child's safety - and to the news reporter who debated the results of this study without conducting his own study - a big WTF?!

Bye for now…be safe!

Stevenn