Happy Childrens Day

The go getter attitude and oodles of confidence dripping from their very persona is what defines the children of the new millennium. Highly informed and immaculately stylish,the kids on new block are all set to rule their surroundings. The younger lot is light years ahead with dreams set high and a vision for its nation. It is true that in terms of knowledge children of today are much more aware than what they used to be two decades ago. But that's the demand of the current times. We are in transition phase. Indian society is waking up to a new world order where it is slated to administer a greater role in world affairs. The new era belongs to those who are smart,intelligent,aware,ambitious,independent and focused as well. Children who are more aware of sensitive issues like global warming,human rights,career venues,technological advancements,political issues,than what my grand mom used to be. Evidently there is no stopping for this tech savvy,gizmo wielding gen-next.

Our children are not our children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. They are our past and our future,a tribute to our ancestors and a legacy to future generations. Children are the vital resource of a nation. The collective futures of families,communities,nations and the world,lies in the hands of its children.Children are the foundation of Life itself. They are the stepping stones of creation. Their childhood is nine parts magic,one part dreams and fantasies. Children's Day celebrates "Childhood" in every corner of the world. Do not forget that children are not just little pets around the house. They are thinking,reasoning,intelligent human beings,and deserve the respect due to them. Those of us that have interacted with these little giants at our levels,and not made the mistake of under-estimating their minds,would have been delightfully surprised at their multi-hued personas. Their observation powers are outstanding,and far overtake even those of adults,at times.Children are far more articulate and expressive in their thoughts and emotions than adults.

No doubt,it is important for children to learn about the origins of Children's Day,but it is much more important to learn that the day is a reminder and recognition of the potential,responsibility and latent capabilities of our children,awaiting fulfillment of their destiny and thence of ours. It is our responsibility to cast the tender minds in our care into the tough,correct moulds,transcending the narrow confines of selfishness, discrimination, possessiveness, hatred, intolerance and grasping. We need to pay tribute to this day by pledging to mould these little adults to become self-reliant responsible,honest citizens of tomorrow. Children carry the world of tomorrow on their shoulders. Let us bear witness to this truth and join hands with them to make the world of tomorrow a beautiful one.

They move seamlessly between reality and virtual reality. The digital landscape they inhabit comprises generations not of family but of technology such as Web 2.0, 3G, PS4 and iPhone5. Their world has moved beyond their neighbourhood,school and childhood friends to encompass a 500-channel television universe,the global gaming village,the endless internet. These are the children born in the last decade and half possibly the first generation that has never known a world without hi-tech. These tweens and teens were born with dial-up internet,learnt to crawl alongside the PC and practiced writing the alphabet on the desktop. To them,a world without keypads,joysticks,digicams,headphones and LCD is unimaginable. For them,the Dark Ages are the time when television was black and white.

It is we,the users,who make the decisions on our usage of it and what we can do with it. Children as young as two are also getting introduced to books. Is exposure to books at much younger ages necessarily bad we believes that young users of technology are exactly like the generations that went before only different. Each generation has used the technologies that they are most familiar with,in order to bring about change. He believes that the era of individualism seems to be ending and the future lies in networks and how we work,live and play within networked societies. Is the twitch speed or the rate at which networked children adapt to newer technologies the number every parent and school teacher needs to know Keeping pace may be the only way to stay connected with the networked generation.

A beginning,and hopefully,a good one. Happy Children's Day