Are children spoiled today?

Tony (Mozambique): I would say, maybe children are spoiled¹, because I remember when I was younger², like we had to work hard³ if we wanted to get something⁴ from our parents⁵. Or even⁶ the stories you hear from your parents, they're basically used to say the same thing⁷, "If you want to get something, you need to work hard for it." But nowadays⁸, maybe some children don't work hard but they still get certain things although⁹ they didn't work hard.

Katia (Mexico ): I think children right now¹⁰ are more deprived¹¹ than spoiled. Unfortunately¹², I believe that many parents are trying to protect their children a little bit too much¹³, so they're deprived of many things, like creativity or spontaneity¹⁴ or curiosity. So, definitely¹⁵, I think children are deprived.

Paul (England): I think children are deprived due to¹⁶ the reduction of clean and safe¹⁷ play environments¹⁸. When I speak to my parents or grandparents¹⁹, they tell me about, you know, times when they used²⁰ to play in the river or play in the forest; whereas now²¹, it's very- children are quite²² restricted. There's a lot of concern²³ about people who are going to do bad things²⁴ to their children, and I think it's very restrictive. So, in a sense²⁵, I feel²⁶ that children are deprived these days.

Kat (Germany): I know a popular opinion is that children nowadays are spoiled, but I don't really think so²⁷. I think that there are a lot of things that children had maybe fifty or a hundred years ago that they don't have anymore²⁸. Nowadays, so many²⁹ people are divorced, and their children are just living with one parent. That is a good example for how children nowadays can be very deprived.

Gareth (England): I think kids³⁰ these days are deprived of nature. I think most³¹ children grow up³² in big cities, and I think there's this urban sprawl³³ that's happening, where cities are becoming bigger³⁴ and encroaching³⁵ on the natural countryside³⁶. So, I believe that children are deprived from nature, from climbing trees³⁷ and playing in ponds³⁸ and rivers, and stuff like that³⁹.

Tim (United States): In America, I think children are very spoiled. A lot of them have things handed⁴⁰ to them; they don't have to work very hard. So, for sixteenth birthday, parents will give their kids a car, or their kids won't have to work very hard to pay for school or college⁴¹ or anything like that⁴². So, they don't have anything to challenge⁴³ themselves, because their parents give them everything.

  

Vocabulary

1.      Spoiled = mimado(a)

2.      Younger = mais novo

3.      Hard = duro, pesado

4.      get something = conseguir alguma coisa

5.      parents = pais

6.      even = até mesmo

7.      used to say the same thing = acostumado a dizer a mesma coisa

8.      nowadays = nos dias de hoje

9.      although = embora

10.   right now = neste momento

11.   deprived = privadas de

12.   Unfortunately = infelizmente

13.   a little bit too much = um pouquinho demais

14.   spontaneity  = espontaneidade

15.   definitely = definitivamente

16.   due to = devido a

17.   clean and safe = limpo e seguro

18.   play environments = ambientes para brincar

19.   grandparents = avós

20.   times when they used = épocas quando eles costumavam

21.   whereas now = enquanto que agora

22.   quite = bastante

23.   There's a lot of concern = há muita preocupação

24.   bad things = coisas ruins

25.   in a sense = de certo modo

26.   feel = sentir

27.   but I don't really think so = mas eu realmente acho que não

28.   they don't have anymore = elas não tem mais

29.   so many = tantas(os)

30.   kids = crianças

31.   most = a maioria

32.   grow up = crescem

33.   urban sprawl  = expansão urbana

34.   becoming bigger = tornando-se maiores

35.   encroaching = invadindo

36.   countryside = campo

37.   climbing trees = subir em árvores

38.   ponds = lagoas

39.   stuff like that = coisas assim

40.   handed = entregues, dados(as)

41.   college = faculdade

42.   anything like that = algo assim

43.   challenge = desafiar