The Happy Talent
  • Blog
  • About
  • Popular
  • Education
  • Social Science
  • Travel
  • Products
  • Contact
"It is a happy talent to know how to play."

Unpopular Opinion: Kids REALLY Don't Need Electric Scooters or Skateboards

12/6/2018

7 Comments

 
Picture
I mean, if I can skate to a party in a dress and heels at an age I'm not willing to admit, can't your kids propel their own skateboards? 

Every time I see a child -- or even a young adult -- on an electric scooter or skateboard, I have to ask myself...

Is there something wrong with his/her legs?

I don't mean to sound judge-y. It's a serious question. What is the incentive to buy your kid a transportation device that propels itself, when your child is perfectly capable of propulsion?

Have kids actually gotten so lazy that moving their bodies no longer feels good to them? I don't know if I can accept that. Moving my body feels AMAZING and it takes my breath away.

​Give me a sand dune, and I'll be like:
Picture
Image: Girl in dress leaping through succulents and sand dunes, from @TheHappyTalent on Instagram.

Happen me upon a slackline, and I'll be like:
Picture
Image: A girl holding a dog while walking on a slackline, from 3 Very Depressing Reasons We're So Addicted to Social Media.

​Even when I'm all dressed up, and physical activity was far from the afternoon's objective... it still feels SO good just to move, right? 
Picture
Image: Girl in yellow dress on monkey bars, from @TheHappyTalent on Facebook.

But... maybe kids just don't like it as much as they used to.

Maybe movement doesn't feel good when you're not used to moving? It would make sense, right? "Flow" is achieved when you strike the right combination of challenge and mastery. If you never move, movement begins to feel harder, and your mastery of movement diminishes.

Pondering this, I remembered something, James Emry, bestselling author of Positive-ly Uncertain: Learn the New Hack to Hit the Happiness Jackpot guest posted on The Happy Talent. In How to Be Happy -- Even When You're Programmed NOT to Be, he wrote:

You’re not lazy, we’re all lazy. In fact, you and I were hardwired to conserve energy in this way because that’s what was needed thousands and thousands of years ago.

Do you think your ancestors long ago played recreational sports? When they were done running miles on end to hunt down food, do you suppose they started a kickball league?

Everything was for fight, for flight, for food or for sex. Those were the times to expend energy, so we developed an “instinct for idleness.” There was significant evolutionary pressure, because idleness was useful for survival, and we passed this instinct on. 


Read more > 



It makes sense that kids would be lazy because they play on their phones all the time and never move, so movement just doesn't feel as good to them. It makes sense that they'd lazy because, given the opportunity, all people #ChooseLazy. 

But maybe it's more than just laziness. Maybe today's youth just do not have the gross motor skills, balance, or proprioceptive sense (i.e., muscle and joint control) to stand on and propel a board. 

After all, according to researchers, many of today's young children are literally incapable of playing tag without hurting each other. ​It's simply because they haven't done activities like that enough to be able to do them safely.

Which is quite unfortunate. As I wrote in Helicopter Parenting Gives Kids Cognitive, Emotional, and Physical Problems:
Their physical skills aren't all that's suffering -- related to the inability to physically navigate and manipulate your environment is the inability to learn about and discover new things in the world around you.

Moreover, independence and risk-taking are 
an essential part of children's development. Which is precisely why the first thing Disney does in all of its movies is kill off the parents (or, at least, turn them into bears).

​Read more >

​

​On a similar note, as I wrote in Kids' Games Are Getting More Dangerous, And It's Their Parents' Fault:
Children are hardwired to explore. Risk-taking (or, at least, the perception thereof) is in their nature. Risks tend to manifest themselves in one of six ways: 

1. Exploring heights
2. Handling "dangerous" tools, such as scissors, knives or hammers
3. Being near dangerous elements, such as water or fire (or, as was the case in Stand By Me, a dead body)
4. Rough-and-tumble play (which, as I mentioned above, is a way for kids to learn to negotiate aggression and cooperation)
5. Speed -- e.g. cycling, skateboarding, ice skating at a pace that feels too fast
6. Exploring on their own

When kids do these things, they will eventually fall down. Bruise their arm. Skin their knee. Maybe even break a finger. It will hurt. BUT...

Research by Ellen Sandseter, a professor of early-childhood education at Queen Maud University College in Trondheim, Norway, has found that kids who spend more time exploring on their own before the age of nine are less likely to to have anxiety and separation issues as adults. Likewise, kids who got hurt falling from heights when they were 5-9 years old are less likely to be afraid of heights at age 18.

Our minor injuries actually give us confidence. They teach us what our limits are, how to handle ourselves in scary situations... and that, even if something goes wrong and you get hurt, you can get better. (Resilience for the win!)

Read more > 



Propelling your own bike, scooter, or skateboard doesn't just FEEL god. It's also good for your physical and emotional development.

Of course, I could just be an example of an adult decrying today's youth. 

Or maybe... we're a little bit closer to Wall-E than we realize.
Picture

​That said, it's obviously better for a kid to have an electric skateboard than no skateboard -- or a skateboard they're not going to use because they're either lazy or incapable. At least that way, they still get some sense of independence, some ability to explore the world around them without constant supervision from mommy and daddy.

If you're going to get your kid a skateboard and aren't sure where to start, I recommend the Robert August Surf One, which is what I started out with. It's easy to learn on and has great component for the price (which, it's worth mentioning, is twice what it was when I ordered mine in 2012). I'm also a fan of my Jaseboard, which was designed to be indestructible. (I failed at jumping a curb once on mine, and it went shooting into the road and was hit by a large SUV -- and it was totally fine.)
Picture

But going back to the whole, "Serious question" thing. Serious question. Why do people buy their kids electric skateboards? I'm interested in your thoughts -- please share them! 
7 Comments
jenifer293 link
12/7/2018 06:12:43 am

Keep posting such content

Reply
Jadzia
12/9/2018 08:32:50 am

I think that electric skateboards are one of those toys that sound really cool but get boring really quickly. I remember badly wanting a My Little Pony that "danced". What it actually did was vibrate and its tail whirled around. I soon found that I liked it less than my other ponies because it was less pretty and its dancing function got boring very quickly. It was never one of my favourite ponies. My favourite was a little purple pony that did nothing special. It was the games I played with my toys that were worthwhile not the gimmicks the manufacturers came up with.

I'm guessing an electric skateboard costs a lot more than a "Dance and Prance" pony but I bet it's much the same. It's fun for a little while and then you realise it is not as good as a regular skateboard.

Reply
Eva Glasrud link
12/10/2018 09:42:09 am

Thanks for the comment. Your comments are always really insightful, so I really enjoyed reading one about your favorite ponies :P

Ponies aside, that's a good point! I can also think of a few toys that were fun for a minute, then just kind of got boring. I can see electric skateboards falling into the category of "got boring quickly because it had one prescribed purpose." It's a great topic that probably deserves its own blog post... I'll have to find some time to work on that! Would it be cool if I quoted your comment?

Reply
Jadzia
12/11/2018 12:32:00 pm

Sure, go ahead!

electric scooter seat link
10/23/2019 08:17:38 pm

The electric scooter developed by Doohan has become a real find for people who, for various reasons, cannot use two-wheeled vehicles, and the car is too large for them. It was for them that a unique vehicle was developed - the ITank tricycle, equipped with three wheels.

Reply
Edward link
7/28/2021 02:02:37 am

Nice content. Thank you for sharing this post.

Reply
Sheila Donnell
4/5/2025 03:06:35 am

My purpose out here today is to share this article to the world about how Doctor Odunga helped me in getting back my EX-boyfriend who broke up with me 4 months ago. I tried all I could to make him see reasons with me so that we can continue our relationship but he denied me. Thank God for giving me the thought of going into the internet for help, I searched properly and I saw different reviews of Doctor Odunga and I insisted on giving it a try by contacting him via what's app on (+2348167159012). He gave me reason to live again and he prepared a spell and told me that my Ex-boyfriend will come back to me within 28 hours. Can you believe it, my EX-boyfriend came back to me and our wedding will be held Soon. Contact him now!!! if you need any help. Email: [email protected] and he does a lot of spells. Once again i want to say am very grateful for your help

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    About the Author
    Picture
    Eva is a content specialist with a passion for play, travel... and a little bit of girl power.  Read more >


    Want to support The Happy Talent? CLICK HERE!
    Support the Happy Talent
    Or Find me on Patreon!
    Picture

    What's Popular on The Happy Talent:
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

      Want more?

    Submit

    Trending in Dating and Relationships:
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture



    ​What's Popular in Science:
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture


    Playfulness and Leisure Skills:
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Popular in Psychology and Social Skills:
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    20s
    Adolescence
    Backpacking
    Boredom
    Boredom Avoidance
    Camping
    Career Advice
    Careers
    Communication
    Confidence
    Consent
    Creativity
    Curiosity
    Dating
    Economy
    Education
    Entrepreneurship
    Fearlessness
    Female Travel
    Feminism
    Free Speech
    Gap Year
    Great Products
    Growth Mindset
    Health
    Hiking
    Hitchhiking
    Life Advice
    Meeting New People
    Mental Health
    Mexico
    Mindfulness
    Most Popular
    National Parks
    Outdoors
    Parenting
    Parenting Advice
    Passive Entertainment
    Play
    Playfulness
    Psychology
    Relationships
    Resilience
    Science
    Scuba Diving
    Self Help
    Self-help
    Sex
    Sports
    Stanford University
    Startups
    Study Abroad
    Summer
    Technology
    Teenagers
    Therapy
    Travel
    Yosemite

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
Photos from paweesit, Steven Penton, torbakhopper, Theo Crazzolara, edenpictures, Kiwi Tom, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Homedust, wocintechchat.com, Ralphman, wbaiv, kg.abhi, Jamiecat *, UnitedWarVeterans, D()MENICK, True Portraits, Neville Wootton Photography, Salvation Army USA West, South African Tourism, phalinn, WilliamsProjects, j_bary, Japanexperterna.se, thephotographymuse, Elvert Barnes, ThoroughlyReviewed, hairy:jacques, joncutrer, wuestenigel, Franck_Michel, jimwerner25, Imahinasyon Photography, joanne clifford, m01229, Antonio Campoy Ederra, Our Dream Photography (Personal), shixart1985, davidstewartgets, couples in nature, Dage - Looking For Europe, jonseidman, andymw91, garryknight, wuestenigel, Rosmarie Voegtli, werner.philipps, Gage Skidmore, Novafly, dinuxm1, Eddie Yip, Prayitno / Thank you for (10 millions +) views, DMahendra, James_Seattle, jamkablam, vanitystudiosphotography, verchmarco (CC BY 2.0), Luiz Gustavo Leme, oki_jappo, Daquella manera, CasparGirl, Mary Anne Morgan, inkknife_2000 (10.5 million + views), homethods, wocintechchat, Hypnotica Studios Infinite, dailyrectangle, Tobyotter, torbakhopper, Kevin Johnston, David Robb, eisenberg_emily, True Portraits, Douglas Pimentel, pmarkham, Noize Photography, rawdonfox, dollen, davidstewartgets, ed and eddie, Ryosuke Yagi, Anthony_Greene, Ruth and Dave, best couples, Jenn Durfey, Cost3l, Orin Zebest, anjanettew, dollen, Editor B, Alexander Day, LyndaSanchez, polosopuestosblog, UpSticksNGo, Agência Brasil, homethods, Find Rehab Centers, Novafly, Deornelas4, buzzern, seefit, C. VanHook (vanhookc), University of Delaware Alumni Relations, Franck_Michel, gordontarpley, Chris Photography(王權), usadifranci, virgohobbs, TheUglySweaterShop, popofatticus, wuestenigel (CC BY 2.0), Mitya Ku, Stefano Montagner - The life around me, Official U.S. Navy Imagery, xxxology, Valentina (GaiaPhotography), True Portraits, Lars Plougmann, Scioto Photos, Carlos ZGZ, quinn.anya, anokarina, amtecstaffing, mliu92, sfbaywalk, MakaiylaW, jerseytom55, Ray in Manila, BoldContent, stevenbates, Janitors, True Portraits, dwhartwig, Kuruman, sffoghorn, liveoncelivewild, mripp, Magdalena Roeseler, Tambako the Jaguar, Barbro Andersen, cbcmemberphotos2477, dejankrsmanovic, weeklydig, Free For Commercial Use (FFC), Sharon C Johnson, Phuketian.S, WeTravel.com, Gunn Shots (On and off these days), valentin hintikka, homethods, JasonParis, kennethkonica, Gregg Vandenberghe, Alyssa L. Miller, theblacknemesis, jdlasica, verchmarco, lizbennington, Artem Beliaikin, best couples, Tony Webster, Infomastern, www.audio-luci-store.it, Our Dream Photography (Personal), LandBetweentheLakesKYTN, KRWonders, donnierayjones, tristendomusic, [email protected], ::ErWin, cnu_sports, gagilas, euthman, ierdnall, jeffreyw, liveoncelivewild, melan.cholerikerin, Artur Malinowski, blachswan, szwerink, wuestenigel, Foodista, toptenalternatives, Cubmundo, Kirt Edblom, Glenn Loos-Austin, wuestenigel, eleonoralbasi, wuestenigel, LyndaSanchez, gagilas, torbakhopper, Gage Skidmore, irio.jyske, LyndaSanchez, Theo Crazzolara, garryknight, kennethkonica, rentalrealities
  • Blog
  • About
  • Popular
  • Education
  • Social Science
  • Travel
  • Products
  • Contact