Learning to share playground equipment is something children all over the world go through while growing up.
Things do not always end up being fair, but the Taipei City Government installing swing timers that set off an alarm after three minutes just seems excessive, and is a missed opportunity for children to learn about sharing and negotiating, while reducing playground bullying in a constructive way.
What is absurd is that these devices were quickly found to be defective — a Taipei Times report on Saturday said that half of them were broken just 10 days after being installed, and people have already found ways to manipulate them to extend the time limit. In a city that sees its fair share of rain, it is incredulous that the device cases were not water resistant. What an utter waste of taxpayer money.
It would be more beneficial to increase the number of swings and other equipment at the parks, as they get increasingly crowded with families during the weekends as parents are encouraged to spend time with their children outdoors.
If a child is really determined to hog the swings, an alarm is not going to stop them. And if they do get off, they are just doing it because they have to, which is a missed opportunity to promote autonomous thinking and compassionate behavior. Instead, children should be encouraged to read the situation and stay aware of how many kids are waiting for the swings, and react appropriately.
Of course there should be suggested time limits, and parents or teachers should teach children why it is important to be cognizant of the length of their use. If there are enough swings for everyone, then they can enjoy themselves for longer and not have to worry about an alarm going off.
What is more worrying is that these playground disputes are often ignited by parents. In April, a heated argument broke out between adults watching the children at a park in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽) over swing time use. Other similar reports can be found, and that is the sort of adult behavior that leads to selfish and entitled behavior in children. Children should be allowed to negotiate the swing times themselves first — and if things get out of hand or there is bullying, then the parents can step in.
Furthermore, if swing timers are only installed in Taipei, what happens when these children visit other cities? It depends on the child, but it could cause the opposite effect. Free of timer restraints, less considerate children might think they can use the swings for as long as they want to.
Compassion cannot be instilled in people by coercion, but society seems to be moving in that direction. Just this week, a driver was fined NT$4,000 for giving another driver the middle finger during a minor traffic dispute.
If basic respect needs to be enforced, then it is no longer genuine, and there will only need to be more rules and regulations to force people to act decently. Instead of giving children a chance to develop respect when they are young, the timers will only stifle their ability to handle disputes in a mature and empathetic way.
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