back to article Brit kids failing to fall out of trees

Brit kids are dismally failing to do themselves an injury in the time-honoured way, by falling out of trees, as they increasingly spend their time glued to video games, the Sun has revealed. According to shock figures obtained by the paper, a healthy 1,796 youngsters aged 15 and under required treatment for tree-related damage …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    we

    We don't like risk here in the West, just look at our new laws.

    1. gfs
      Big Brother

      Not the West

      The UK, not the west!

      1. Trevor Pott o_O Gold badge

        @gfs

        Actually, "the west" is sadly accurate. There are really only a handful of "western countries" that seem to have refrained from "create an infinite number of laws to bubble wrap everything and everyone."

  2. DavyBoy79
    Boffin

    Beware the sensationalist Statistics!

    The sun article mixes numbers with percentages where it wants to. Yes it gives a massive drop of 911 tree falls. Fine!

    But how much is the 60% increase in RSI injuries in real terms? It can be as little (with no rounding) as 8 from 5! Which in this case is too small to be of concern.

    Come on Sun, spit the REAL figures out and show us how you really doctored the figures!

  3. frank ly

    No Way !

    "...and acquiring vital keyhole surgery skills"

    I've seen the way kids use and manipulate a games console controller. No way are any of them coming near me with a sharp object in their hands!

  4. ardubbleyu
    WTF?

    Vital Keyhole Surgery Skills?

    That'll be useful...

  5. npupp 1
    FAIL

    huh

    So thumb blisters become the new scars? ROFL.

    Interesting The Sun picks up on this story, bemoaning the lack of "a proper childhood" on one hand, while instilling fear of a paedogeddon in their readership. So what will The Sun do now, encourage parents to let their children play outside and fall, or keep them indoors safe from paedophiles but risking RSI (and psychotic tendencies if Daily Mail is to believed) from their video games.

    1. Trevor Pott o_O Gold badge

      paedogeddon

      ...

      now I've read everything.

  6. The Original Ash
    Go

    The battles of the future...

    ... will be fought by twitch gamers from the comfort of their living room.

    I say let them build their fine motor control. It's the way of the future.

  7. Disco-Legend-Zeke
    FAIL

    The culture says..

    ..."Go out and play." It's a survival thing; in Northern latitudes, if you are light skinned, you NEED 15 minutes of sunlight per day in order to prevent rickets and other vitamin D related diseases.

    The lack of exercise is another issue, surely not healthy either.

    I was shocked to read in The Reg that vitamin D is not added to milk in the UK. Is there any movement to correct this?

    1. ravenviz Silver badge
      Stop

      Re: The culture says..

      Isn't that just evolution?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Joke

      Go suck a lime will ya!

      That is all.

      1. Allan George Dyer
        Headmaster

        Learn your alphabet...

        Lime is vitamin C, sunlight (and bread) is D.

        So, use your loaf!

      2. jake Silver badge

        @AC00:19

        "Go suck a lime will ya!"

        That's VitC, not VitD ...

  8. yoinkster
    Grenade

    so the sun have found ...

    that kids are now better at climbing trees? Or only climb trees when they have their trusty pocket matress?

    its that elf and saftee has saved the wee ones, not that gaming has taken them inside ...

  9. Stef 4

    Well,

    As I'm sure I'm soon to have a few, I will endeavour to push my kids out of trees at every opportunity. And scuff their knees.

  10. Roby

    Wii elbow

    I wonder if they are including Wii-related injuries in their 'console games'. That could increase the numbers.

    It could also be an increase in masturbation due to the availability of streaming porn. If the doctor says, 'do you play a lot of computer games,' you will likely answer 'yes' rather than 'no, I just wank a lot'.

    1. ravenviz Silver badge
      Paris Hilton

      Re: Wii elbow

      Anyone male who says they got RSI from masturbating is just showing off.

      Paris because she knows all about showing off (and masturbating*)

      *probably

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Dead Vulture

    Or as it should be....

    The Sun reports that kids are going to get injured. Whether by almost killing themselves or by ruining thier future.

    With this news, parents all over the country lock the kids in the bedroom, as they can no longer trust the uncles/aunts/cousins/neighbour/teacher/religious leader to be involved in their upbringing. No TV, No Games.

    Government enacts new law to prevent parents becoming potential Josepf Fritzl's and removes all children to care homes and then charges the parents the Maintainance tax.

    Couples stop having children, children poorly educated and emotionally crippled become criminals.

    They rob the rich, which leads to a new lew which forces criminals into labor camps. Crims work long hours for no pay. Rich get richer as UK productivity soars. Crims get fed up riot and are gassed.

    With no one to do the work the rich get poorer and end up robbing the richer people. They become crims. Work and then gassed. Everybody in UK is gassed.

    I like this story. Can I claim copyright for this?

    1. Citizen Kaned

      of course you can't silly...

      its in the new labour manifesto.... :)

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Kids today...

    They don't know what their missing, which in my case was a 4 inch long, 2 inch deep scratch courtesy of the corner of a wooden box under the tree from which I fell. I still remember the nurse putting her fingers in to clean it and throwing the swabs in the bin. Then the one who sewed it up did nothing but complain that my skin was too tough and she had problems getting the needle through. The thing that suprises me to this day is that with such a hole there was no blood loss even though I've since seen worse wounds without blood.

  13. JoeTheAnnoying
    Thumb Down

    Helicopter parents

    Before accusing video games, I'd focus more on, "How many kids are allowed to go out and play without adult supervision any more?"

    Modern drivers are so intent on being distracted that sending out your child alone is like a death wish. I let my 8-year-old (yes, 8!) cross the street to the park for the first time a few weeks ago. He looked both ways, started across, and then was nearly clipped by a white SUV that ran a stop sign, apparently with the intent of teaching my son not to try to cross the street alone. Fortunately, my son was alert and jogged backwards out of its path, but after literally dozens of incidents where drivers have ignored the fact that there are kids in the crosswalk while I've been walking them to school, there's no way I'm going to let them cross any major streets on their own. (Lights and crosswalks don't help -- in California drivers can and do turn on red right into pedestrians).

    Virtually all parents around here are like me: You can't let your kids go anywhere on their own, because the drivers just don't care. So you go with them. Unfortunately, most parents (unlike me) won't let their kids take risks. (I figure if it isn't going to kill them, then it's a valuable learning experience. Bizarrely, my kids are the best tree- and structure-climbers in the neighborhood. Go figure). Thus, fewer injuries.

    Very simple. And nothing to do with video games. (Unless you count the ones that the drivers are playing while behind the wheel).

    1. Peter Simpson 1
      Stop

      @JoeTheAnnoying

      "was nearly clipped by a white SUV that ran a stop sign"

      Teach your son to do what I do when "near missed" by an SUV in the crosswalk: haul back with your hand and give it a good whack on the flank. You'd be surprised how quickly they stop when they think they've hit something.

      Last time I did it, the guy rolled down his window and before he could open his mouth, my wife let him have it loud and clear. He mumbled an apology and drove off.

      I'm a bit tired of folks who are so busy gabbing on the phone that they forget to stop for pedestrians.

      1. JoeTheAnnoying
        Thumb Down

        Yeah; THAT'S a good idea

        My son weighs 45 pounds (20 kilos to you Easterners). An enraged SUV driver weighs in at around 230 (male or female). Not a conflict I'd like to bet on...

        ...on the other hand, my son's a darned fast runner, and my wife's getting her black belt this year, so maybe it would add to my entertainment. How many blokes are going to admit getting whooped by an enraged mom after almost running over her kid?

        ...and of course, how many SUV drivers could run the entire block to chase my son back to my house?

      2. transientcylon
        Heart

        Peter...

        I LOVE that idea. Got any good ones for the morons that think a turn signal is optional? Win, sir, pure win.

      3. Allan George Dyer
        Badgers

        Last time I tried that

        the driver jumped out and shouted at me for damaging his car.

        After the Police and courts got involved, he got a point on his license and a fine. Some satisfaction, but a bloody long-winded way of getting it.

    2. Youngone Silver badge
      Thumb Up

      Re: Helicopter parents

      You're right about that. Although in our neighbourhood, it was helicopter Mums, so the Dads all got together and told the Mums, (nicely), to back off and let our boys fall over and skin their knees. We didn't want to raise a bunch of soppy Mummy's boys. They took it in good spirit on the whole, and there haven't been any really serious accidents. Apart from one one lad who *cough* fell out of a tree. Only a broken wrist tho'

  14. JaffaMan
    Thumb Down

    Crap weather

    Could this be linked to the fact that the last 3 'summers' have been complete washouts, thus resulting in kids staying indoors?

    Have injuries from jumping in puddles correspondingly increased?

  15. Graham Marsden
    Flame

    Well obviously...

    ... it's because we're Thinking Of The Children(tm)!

    We're protecting the poor little darlings from all those dangers out there, especially all those paedos who are lurking on every street corner.

    Far better that our children die early from coronary heart disease...

  16. fattybacon

    What about the Trampoline invasion?

    From almost any google map spy pic of any suburban estate every second garden has a trampoline of doom, ensuring the A&E figures are kept healthy with the constant stream of maimings.

    Huzzah for the trampoline I say!

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "Doing physically challenging outdoor activities is a waste of time"

    fixed

  18. cookieMonster Silver badge
    WTF?

    How many of the little gits...

    were eaten by large predators, compared to 2000, 5000 and 10,000 years ago??

    It's called progress, like it or not !!

    TTFN

  19. thefutureboy

    Or...

    ...maybe this year's tree climbing kids are better at it than last year's bunch of no-hopers and hence haven't fallen out as much?

  20. Stone Fox
    Boffin

    is it me

    or does anyone else feel this could be evolution in motion?

    As we become more technologically dependant might we perhaps become less dependant on Vitamin D, or just develop "sun lamps" that give us what we need without all the other bits that give us skin cancer?

  21. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I agree

    The children of today must be pretty nimble to avoid tree-falling so well. I've seen it myself - gangs of hoodies, roaming the forests, swinging from branch to branch uttering their guttural cry "Spare us a paaaahnd!"

  22. Craig 28

    Also consider...

    Along with the aforementioned valid points about skill, weather and so on consider how many kids have access to trees? And cultural willingness to do stupid things (like climbing trees) while not on friendly turf (like your own garden). If the kids don't consider it "their" tree they might not be so inclined to climb it.

    1. jake Silver badge

      @Craig 28

      "If the kids don't consider it "their" tree they might not be so inclined to climb it."

      Eh? Scrumping apples isn't part of the UK culture anymore? When did that go away?

      I find this sad, in the old meaning of the word.

  23. Neil Shepherd
    Joke

    Rescue, Rescue, Rescue

    OMG you mean that kids *aren't* falling out of trees anymore? =8O

    Right, the little gits next door are gonna get marched to the nearest oak, forced to climb it and then have pot-shots taken at them until they fall out. I could even charge for that...might even make a bit of money... Bwuhahahaha

  24. Anonymous Coward
    Unhappy

    Is it any wonder?

    More indicators, as if they were needed, of a broken Britain. I'm getting the next plane out of here before the Eco police ban them.

    When oh-so important people are charged with "protecting us" from ourselfes; and

    When gardens and greenspace are buldozed over to develop housing on because it's more profitable in the short term than the higher standard of living it destroysl

    When instant gratification is promoted well above achievement and hard work;

    Is it any wonder people say Britain is Broken.

  25. Boris the Cockroach Silver badge
    IT Angle

    Nope

    you are all wrong

    The reason that less kids are falling out of trees is that the local councils are cutting them down to avoid being sued after someone's kid falls out of a tree

    I never fell out of trees ........ the big'uns would throw me in the pond and hold me down

  26. Ian 31
    Boffin

    Nettles

    Always climb the tree on the opposite side to where the nettles are growing. Trust me on this.

  27. Slappy
    WTF?

    You're all missing the point

    Around here you're liable to get nicked for indulging in a bit of tree climbing... really!

    From about 3 years ago

    "Children arrested, DNA tested, interrogated and locked up... for playing in a tree."

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-397240/Children-arrested-DNA-tested-interrogated-locked--playing-tree.html

  28. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Public service

    I want to start grabbing kids off the street, taking them to a high place*, and hurling them off, to redress these disturbing trends.

    There is no improper intent, and I would be doing it to provide them with a fuller life experience.

    I wont even ask payment for this act of community service.

    Perhaps we could form an organisation that does this nationwide, although you cant trust anyone who actually wants to work with kiddies.

    *not a tree, I would probably do myself an injury trying to get the little darlings up a proper tree.

  29. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Too fat to climb!

    Kids I see around are too fat to actually climb a tree in the first place thus reducing the chances of them falling out of it. also the fact children cannot go anywhere without an adult following would reduce it too...... sad reflection on society.

  30. Sceptical Bastard

    From Sir Herbert Gusset

    Dear Sirs,

    What on earth is wrong with children today? My generation gave Johnny Foreigner a trouncing in two world wars and we were made of sterner stuff. We spent our happy childhoods breaking arms, legs and skulls by falling out of trees, being run over by motorcars and playing with unexploded bombs.

    There is no discipline today, that's the trouble. If we were caught scrumping, there was always a good old British bobby to clip us round the ear with his trusty truncheon: far from complaining to the IPCC like nambie-pambies, our mums and dads laughed off the resultant brain damage. And, for any sissies who blubbed, there was always a smiling priest on hand to take them into the vestry for a good sound buggering.

    Today's mollycoddled young people don't know they're born!

    Yours against the Hun,

    Sir H Gusset (Rtd)

    The Old Charnel House, Lesser Frogmarching, Somerset

  31. Lionel Baden
    Stop

    huh

    i stopped right here

    the Sun has revealed.

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