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