Youth

childhood is defined by a dichotomous, yet coexisting divide between both freedom and barriers. at once, you are the least free you will be in your life, with all dependent on the confines of some guardian's rule, within a world you did not chose to be born into. at the expense of this, children tend to be free from adult burdens. the child's mind is malleable and quick to learn, allowing for freedom of forming thoughts that permeate their worldview. simultaneously, this mind is constantly molded by institutional structures, like family and education. perhaps "fun" is merely escapism from this conflicting balance.