Why are Kids Today Smarter Than Kids 10 Years Ago?

It has been a few days since I have been struggling with time management. My 4-year-old was playing next to me while he heard me narrate the same problem to a friend. He suddenly said, “Why don’t you do this thing this way?” I was astonished to see that I have given birth to a genius!

In the past few years, kids seem to have taken huge leaps in terms of mental capacity. They are multitasking like pros, be it excelling at video games, going for music lessons or scoring full marks in class tests. In fact, today’s kids seem more tech savvy than any generation before them. They are smart and intelligent. A large amount of credit goes to parents paying special attention to their growth and development in recent times.

What Has Changed in 10 Years?

Over the last decade, there has been a significant change in the way kids think and express themselves. In comparison with children just a decade ago, today’s kids have much more exposure to information and the world at large. Well, it is yet to be identified whether the internet makes us smart or just makes us think that we are smart, a fact proposed by an article by Forbes.

TV: The Biggest Source of Information

While it is a much-debated topic, a large number of kids stay glued to the television set at home. If not bedroom, they have a television in an easily accessible place. Serials, movies, cartoons, all have become unbeatable sources of information for them. They can now easily identify things, places, styles, colours, games and people, just because they saw it on TV.

Kids have Smartphones

You say it, they “Google” it. Within seconds, they have the said information with them. According to a report by Common Sense Media, kids less than 8 years of age are spending 30% of their time on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. Internet access has significantly contributed to increasing their knowledge base. Simple things like clearing different levels in a video game gives the kids a confidence boost and aids their intelligence level. Kids just 10 years ago didn’t have any such facilities.

Experts have always emphasized on providing such smart devices to kids only after they are 14-15 years old, since the Internet also exposes them to illicit content that is not healthy. Therefore, parental supervision and control is recommended for younger children using mobile devices and computers.

Parenting has Changed

Due to the declining trend of joint families in India, today’s parents are raising their kids to be more independent and self-aware. They are making every possible effort to get their child what they need to gain a competitive advantage over their peers.

Parents have always been cautious about providing the right kind of nutrition to their children. However, today’s parents are much more aware of their children’s nutrition needs. This is easily reflected in the fact that parents are adding a fortified milk powder like Enfagrow A+ to their children’s daily diet. This is the best way to ensure the right amount of essential nutrients, including DHA, which helps in brain development and physical growth.