"Kid Nation" - Colonizing the Young in the Old West

Among the newest of the fall lineup of "reality" shows, one of the most controversial is Kid Nation, broadcast on CBS. Though the verdict is still out on whether or not the public fully approves, it is an interesting concept. A bunch of kids, aged 8 to 15, volunteer to set up their own community out west, in an abandoned mining town called Bonanza City, for 40 whole days. They are governed by their own kid-run "town council" and have various levels of social classes, which were determined by how well they handle competitions as teams. It is interesting to see the series take shape, though it is full of critics. Is this too much to ask of younger children, to have them be so independent, taking risks and working hard? There are pros and cons to these issues, but as a simple viewer, it is fascinating to see how it all works.

First of all, the producers of the show are clear to the kids that they are able to choose to go home whenever they wish. This is good, because one small child was overwhelmed on the first show, and was the only one who wanted to leave. He was the youngest and was homesick for his parents. As a group, the other children supported him as he left. He was only eight years old, was the youngest child there, and felt that the experience was better for kids older than he was.

Apparently, all the kids are encouraged to use teamwork to accomplish different tasks. This is a good life lesson for each one of them. By learning to work with others away from school, they can see how important it is to go to school and do well in it. This may show kids that haven't been away from home before, that it's a lot of work to be "independent." Surely, they will come home with a deeper knowledge of life beyond many of their peers at home. This freedom and forced maturity may help or scare them. Hopefully, the producers will make sure these children are able to have fun while on the show, and remember that they are kids. Too much lessons in adulthood could be a bit overwhelming, so they need to have fun and goof off too, to not take everything overly seriously. These are growing minds and bodies, who need positive experiences, in order to make it all worthwhile.

The series has just begun, but looks encouraging. I'm on the edge of my seat as I wonder if they're going to make these kids kill the chickens for food. That would be traumatic, so that doesn't appeal to me at all. That's a little bit too much reality for young children to have to witness. Secretly, I hope that there's a cooking staff somewhere off camera, providing these kids good, nutritious food so they don't have to make everything on their own. They're still kids, after all. Give them reality but in measured doses only.

The idea of the gold star trophy is good, so they have something to work for. The lucky child who receives the solid gold star gets $20,000, and represents the most hardworking and deserving member of the community each week. The trophy is handed out by the town council. This money will be helpful for the winner's future, and motivate him or her to achieve. Since they come from all walks of life, this could help kids coming from less fortunate backgrounds, to later afford a college education. As the show unfolds in the coming weeks, we will see how many young people stay or go. It may be a hit, as long as the children are given proper treatment by adults who run the show, and let them remember that they are indeed, still children who need to have fun time, too.