Congratulations to everyone born before video games, mobile phones and the internet – Steve Cardownie

A friend of mine sent me a post along the following lines: Congratulations to all born in the 1930s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, and early 80s!

Some modern-day children still have a spirit of adventure (Picture: Owen Humphreys/PA)

When you were a toddler your cots were covered with bright-coloured, lead-based paints. You had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when you rode your bikes you had no helmets.

As children you would travel in cars with no seat belts or air bags. You shared one soft drink with four friends from one bottle and no one died.

You ate cakes, white bread and real butter but weren’t overweight because you were always outside playing!

You would leave home in the morning and play all day as long as you were back when the streetlights came on.

You would spend hours building guiders from scrap and then career downhill, forgetting that there were no brakes.

You did not have Playstations, Nintendos, Xboxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on TV, no mobile phones, no text messaging and no internet.

You had friends and you went outside and found them. You fell out of trees, broke bones and teeth. You walked to a friend’s house and knocked on the door or just shouted for them.

These generations have produced some of the best risk takers, problem solvers and inventors ever. The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

You tasted failure and success and learned how to deal with it all.

A light reflection on the past, most of which may strike a chord with some readers.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.