Nikitka lived in a large, close-knit family with his mum, dad and his younger sister. The boy attended school, in Year Two, and his sister Dasha went to nursery. Nikita had lots of friends, and often, after coming home from lessons, he would throw down his rucksack and run off to play with them. The boys played football, 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 all the family members were home.
Evening came, and Nikitka looked at his father with bated breath and said:
Dad, you haven't forgotten about opening that bag you brought home this afternoon, have you?
No, of course not. I'll show you what I bought right now.
Dad replied, and with a smile disappeared into the room.
A few minutes later, Dad called out:
All ready, you can all come in here now.
Nikitka and his sister raced each other to see what interesting thing Dad had bought them. And there, scarcely believing their eyes, the children saw a new, beautiful, modern computer, which they had been dreaming about for ages.
Right then, this is our new friend. Now you'll be able to watch cartoons, play computer games, and learn lots of new and interesting things using the internet. But let's discuss the rules straight away, children. You can only sit at the computer for a short time, no more than an hour a day, otherwise I'll take it back to the shop.
Father said.
The children were delighted with such a purchase.
Nikitka rushed to the telephone and began ringing his friends to share his joy with them:
Hello, Antoshka, my dad's bought me a computer! Come round to mine, we'll play together.
So the boy rang all his friends to show off his new friend.
A week passed. Every day, Nikita would come home from school and, as usual, throw down his rucksack, but no longer ran off to play football with his friends outside. Without washing his hands, without taking off his outdoor clothes, and without having lunch, he would dash to the computer to start playing his favourite game as quickly as possible, or watch yet another cartoon. Nikita's dad worked very long hours, so he came home late and couldn't always see how his son spent his time after school. Mum constantly told the boy that he mustn't spend so much time at the computer, but her words fell on deaf ears.
Nikita, stop playing on your computer! Come and have something to eat after school, then sit down and do your homework.
Mum said to her son.
Mum, I'll just play a tiny bit more, then I'll do my homework.
The boy replied, each time sitting at the computer for far too long.
Nikitka's friends continued to play football 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 marks got worse, 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 that his eyes were hurting badly. What's more, for some reason he'd started to see less clearly.
What's happening to me?
Nikita wondered.
Could what Mum and Dad said actually be true? Can computers really damage your eyesight?
The boy reasoned in bewilderment.
Outside, the weather was lovely, and Nikita suddenly remembered his friends, with whom he used to have such fun. So the boy decided to take a break and go outside for a bit with his friends.
Going out onto the doorstep, Nikita called out:
Hey, lads, shall we go for a bike ride? Or maybe play some football together?
But the boys looked at him, pretended not to hear, and carried on playing amongst themselves, without Nikita.
Antokha, Pavlik, can't you hear me?
Nikita asked.
Of course we can hear you! It's just that we don't want to play with you anymore. You've got a new friend – your computer – so go and play with that. We'll go fishing, ride our bikes and play football without you.
Nikita, upset, went home, thinking to himself:
Well, I don't need them to play with me. I'll manage somehow without them. I'll just sit down at my beloved computer now and play, and I don't need anyone else.
The boy sat down at the computer desk and started battling tanks again.
Suddenly Dashenka ran in and cried:
Nikitka, look at the beautiful dress Mum's made for me. It's so bright that now I'll be visible from far away, and everyone will be jealous!
Oh, Dasha, where's it bright? It's completely faded and dull.
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!
Well, you're having me on, little sister! It's completely unremarkable, sort 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 had been bright – yellow and red – but now the boy's vision had clouded, and he couldn't work out which fish was which.
He rushed to his mum and said:
Mum, Mummy, our fish have gone really pale. What's happened to them?
Nothing's happened to the fish, sweetheart. It's because you've been sitting at the computer for so long that your eyes have got very tired, and you've started to see poorly.
Mum replied.
Then Nikitka decided that he would never sit at the computer for long periods again. He became frightened that he would no longer see the green, beautiful grass, the bright yellow sun and the blue sky. He ran outside and went to his friends.
Forgive me, lads. I'll never swap you for a computer again. It damages children's eyesight, and because of it I nearly lost my best friends.
The boys forgave Nikitka, and everything was sorted. The boy only occasionally sat at the computer, to look up something he needed for lessons, or to play a game for a short while. His schoolwork improved, his friends started calling for him again to play football together or go fishing. And the fish in the aquarium became bright and beautiful once more.
