Nikita lived in a big, loving family with his mum, dad, and his younger sister. The boy was in school, in grade two, and his sister Dasha went to daycare. Nikita had lots of friends, and often, after coming home from class, he would toss his backpack aside and run off to play with them. The boys played soccer, went fishing, and were very active and cheerful. Then one fine day, Nikita's dad brought home a large bag, but said he would only reveal its contents when the whole family was home.
Evening came, and Nikita looked at his father with bated breath and said:
Dad, you didn't forget about opening that bag you brought home this afternoon, did you?
No, of course not. I'll show you what I bought right now.
Dad replied with a smile and disappeared into the room.
A few minutes later, Dad called out:
All set! Everyone can come in now.
Nikita and his sister raced each other to see what interesting thing Dad had bought them. And there, hardly believing their eyes, the children saw a new, beautiful, modern computer—something they had been dreaming about for a very long time.
Well, here's our new friend. Now you can watch cartoons, play computer games, and learn lots of new and interesting things using the internet. But let's discuss the rules right away, kids. You can only sit at the computer for a short time—no more than an hour a day. Otherwise, I'll return it to the store.
Dad said.
The children were thrilled with the purchase.
Nikita rushed to the phone and started calling his friends to share his joy:
Hello, Tony? My dad bought me a computer! Come over to my place and we can play.
The boy called all his friends to show off his new friend.
A week passed. Every day, Nikita would come home from school and, as usual, toss his backpack aside—but he no longer ran off to play soccer with his friends outside. Without washing his hands, without taking off his coat, and without eating lunch, he would dash to the computer to start playing his favourite game or watch another cartoon as quickly as possible. Nikita's dad worked a lot, so he came home late and couldn't always see how his son spent his time after school. Mum constantly reminded the boy that he shouldn't spend so much time at the computer, but her words fell on deaf ears.
Nikita, stop playing on that computer! Go eat your lunch, and then sit down and do your homework.
Mum told her son.
Mum, I'll just play a little bit longer, and then I'll do my homework.
The boy replied, staying glued to the computer every time.
Nikita's friends continued to play soccer in the yard, ride their bikes, and go fishing, but the boy wasn't interested in anything except his new friend—the computer. Nikita's grades got worse, and his classmates stopped being friends with him altogether.
Then one day, when Nikita came home from school as usual and sat down at the computer, he suddenly felt his eyes hurting badly. What's more, for some reason, his vision seemed worse.
What's happening to me?
Nikita wondered.
Could what Mum and Dad said actually be true? Can a computer really damage your eyesight?
The boy puzzled over this.
Outside, the weather was beautiful, and Nikita suddenly remembered his friends, with whom he used to have so much fun. So the boy decided to take a break and go outside to play with his mates for a bit.
Stepping outside, Nikita called out:
Hey, guys! How about we go for a bike ride? Or maybe play some soccer together?
But the boys looked at him, pretended not to hear, and continued playing amongst themselves, without Nikita.
Tony, Paul, can't you hear me?
Nikita asked.
Oh, we hear you all right! We just don't want to play with you anymore. You've got a new friend—your computer. Go hang out with that. We'll go fishing, ride our bikes, and play soccer without you.
Upset, Nikita went home, thinking to himself:
Fine, I don't need them to play with me. I'll manage without them somehow. I'll just sit down at my beloved computer and play, and I don't need anyone else.
The boy sat down at the computer desk and started battling tanks again.
Suddenly, Dasha ran in and shouted:
Nikita, look at the beautiful dress Mum made me! It's so bright that everyone will be able to see me from far away, and they'll all be jealous!
Oh, Dasha, it's not bright at all—it's quite dull and plain.
The boy replied.
What do you mean? Can't you see? It's yellow, like the sun, and I look like a flower in it!
You're kidding, sis! It's completely unremarkable—kind of pale and not bright at all.
Suddenly, Nikita looked at the aquarium that had been in his and his sister's room for ages. Before, the fish in it were bright—yellow and red—but now everything looked cloudy to the boy, and he couldn't tell which fish was which.
He rushed to his mum and said:
Mum, Mum, our fish look really pale. What happened to them?
Nothing happened to the fish, sweetheart. It's because you've been sitting at the computer for so long that your eyes are very tired, and your vision has gotten worse.
Mum replied.
Right then, Nikita decided he would never spend long hours at the computer again. He became frightened that he might never again see the green, beautiful grass, the bright yellow sun, or the blue sky. He ran outside and went to his friends.
I'm sorry, guys. I'll never trade you for a computer again. It ruins kids' eyesight, and because of it, I almost lost my best friends.
The boys forgave Nikita, and everything was fine again. The boy only occasionally sat at the computer—to look up something he needed for school or to play a game for a short while. His schoolwork improved, his friends started coming by again to play soccer or go fishing together. And the fish in the aquarium became bright and beautiful once more.
