CTT: Kids these days

I was standing on my balcony and sipping an amazing cold coffee. I see kids playing in the garden near by, these kids with shoes and bags that have lights, matching skateboards, little electric cars.
I see these kids riding their bicycles with matching helmet, elbow pad, knee pad, cycling shoes, at times even matching glasses.

I wonder to myself, when we were kids, we had BSA SLR bi-cycle, we used to fall, get hurt, have bruises, scratches on our knees (in my case the knees had bruises forever, I used to trip anywhere and everywhere) but then parents let kids play, get hurt and grow. Why have parents suddenly become so over protective of their kids?

I don't know if these kids have a rough note book too in school, but the last page of our books were, XO (ex-zero), Flames, join-the-dots, name-place-animal-thing, and chit game (Raja Rani Chor Police), and I am sure that the kids these days have no idea what "jolly" is. Am the only one who feels that they are missing out on so much fun? Well..

I see these kids having I-phones, expensive gadgets, even their toys are super cool. Kids now, play on the phones, compete with each other on their I-pads and Tabs. They are missing on playing catch-catch, cutting the cake, saakli (chain making), hide and seek, lagori, langdi, chippy/hopscotch, Statue

The birthday parties of 3 year old happen in nothing less than Mc Donald's.
I remember, my father used to decorate the house with paper ribbons & 'Happy Birthday' thermocol cut out, we used invite our friends, wear the cone shaped shimmer hat, cut cakes, serve Rasna, wafers, samosa, cake and chocolates on a paper plate, the return gifts used to be, pencil box, fruit shaped nice smelling erasers, Combo of pencil, ruler, eraser, or some fancy pen.
But these days, there are party planners for the tots.

The senior kids getting out of the school buses look no less than tiny ramp models with sling bags, sexy haircuts, super expensive watches. They look so grown up already.
Damn, I used to have unkempt pony tail with red ribbons, one watch that was a birthday gift (I loved that watch)
I see 12-14 year olds in parlors, getting their eyebrows, waxing, clean-up's done.
Why? Isn't that the age to play, enjoy the childhood?
Its my opinion, not necessarily true, all the innocence seems lost somewhere.

In our time, 70% or more used to be an achievement, these days even kids with 99% cry. If I would have got anything close to the marks like these kids, I would wear a shiny hat and dance around the city.

When I was a kid, my new geometry box used to be a matter or pride, or the double side pencil box, or the China ink pen, even the four color transparent pen.
I wonder if the kids these days, even value such small pleasures.

I wonder what has changed from then and now except that the buying power of parents have increased, the peer pressure in schools have increased, or the show off quotient has changed.