I notice it. You notice it. Our grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, everyone under the sun can see the vast difference between our older generations and the younger ones.

Lately I've been noticing the polarity between everyone of different ages more so than usual. I think all of the controversial activity in the news has had something to do with that, but it is more than just our political views that aren't the same. It is the way we act, talk to other people, and spend our free time that differentiates us.

When I was a kid, I know that my dad and his parents made sure that I played outside. I also like to believe that that is where I would have much rathered been when I wasn't at school. My sister and I would get stuck in trees, make mud pies, play with my Pop-pop's farm animals, and overall just enjoy the outdoors. We were involved in sports and practiced almost every single day. Our dad would take us to the ball field and hit us ground balls until we got it right. Being outside was the best thing in the world, and I wouldn't trade my memories for anything. I know that my dad was the same when he was a kid, and that's why he raised my sister and I to be like that. He knew one day we would appreciate it.

Nowadays though, you don't really see many parents taking their kids out to the sports field and playing with them. You could ask 10 10-year-olds what their favorite thing to do in their spare time is and I can almost guarantee that 80, if not 90 percent of them will say something that deals with electronics. It is sad to me that children have lost their sense of imagination and adventure. I see videos online all of the time or even just families at the grocery store, and the kids are yelling and screaming at their parents, telling them they're stupid and other names that should never leave a child's mouth.

Here is some food for thought: maybe it is the parents' fault they act this way. A kid just doesn't pick up foul language off the ground, they have to hear it first. Maybe kids love video games so much because today's parents are too lazy and caught up in their own personal electronics that it has negatively affected the entire younger generation. As a parent, you should fuel your kid's creative side and remember that it is okay to be silly sometimes. Keeping your kid quiet with violent video games or cell phones isn't the answer. It is amazing how some quality time would change the way our younger generation acts.

Respect is another thing that seems to have flown out of the window in the last decade or so. But does anyone remember the golden rule of respect? You have to give it to receive it!! That rule has been long forgotten by many people. There are so many old sayings that are beyond true and have been left in the dust. If only we could start teaching them again, imagine how different our world would be. We wouldn't be frightened of the younger generations who will soon be the people running our country. Wouldn't it be nice if we had faith in them?

We created the younger generation that everyone talks down on, so instead of gossiping about it, how about we change it? Children learn what they are taught, so parents, start taking the tips your parents and grandparents gave you when you were young and pass them down the family line. If you're an older sibling, take your little brother or sister outside and show them what your favorite game used to be. We can all contribute to the future betterment of our world's children and we should all seriously start. I would hate to live in a world one day controlled by middle-aged people who still have their noses stuck in a screen. Get the kids outside and show them how to have real, authentic fun!