The information revolution seeps into the ears of our children every hour they are awake. From television, from cable, from social networking sites, from Internet, from phones, from the varieties of multimedia including all those not in existence now this moment but possibly this afternoon and certainly tomorrow.
This constant assault of advertising masquerading as information pours into the juvenile and as yet unformed psyche, playing on the vulnerable and bypassing the checks and controls of older, wiser heads who may not even be aware of the stream of fool’s gold as it tinkles past through the ether. Already children believe that if you are thinner, you will be more loveable. They understand that they can borrow money instantly, by texting a number. They know the norm to be either a dysfunctional soap opera family, with murder as a plot device, or an impossibly shiny millionaire family with disposable everything. Examples set by the idols of today, who are the troubadours, encourage them to think that you can marry someone just for a few days and that no one will be hurt in the subsequent abandonment. They see remembrance of sports results and familiarity with pop charts rewarded in quizzes as genuine knowledge. They are taught that more possessions are the same as wealth and that a king size burger and fries for 99p is desirable every day.
We need to tell our children.
We need to tell our children that a pay day loan is not a good thing and that anyone offering low rates of interest in a recession will be wanting some bodily part to make up the balance.
We need to tell our children that people come in all shapes, sizes and colours and cannot be judged by their appearance. We need to tell our children not to believe what people say but to look and see what they do, over an interval, before we vote for them.
We need to tell our children that, while some people do win the lottery, they are more likely to acquire wealth if they get a job early, work hard, spend less than they earn and invest the surplus.
We need to tell our children that they will sleep well if they get some fresh air and exercise every day.
We need to tell our children that pressing a button to summon the answer only demonstrates knowledge of how to press the button.
We need to tell our children to be suspicious of anyone offering to solve their problems for them and that each person’s path in life will involve some problem solving and some learning and that we are here to grow our souls.
We need to tell our children to beware of artificially produced chemical substances and that it is not safe to ingest some of them at all, many of them occasionally and most of them every day.
We need to tell them not to hand their free will over to anyone else but to think for themselves always and never to join in with any activity that does not sit well with their conscience.
We need to tell them that while there are some positions available as pop stars, kings and icons in general there are many more for plumbers and electricians with less risk of being deposed and more chance of steady long term employment.
We need to tell them that self-sufficiency is desirable because you have to be able to look after yourself first before you can look after anyone else.
We need to tell them that nobody knows it all and it is wise to know what you do not know and try to learn it.
We need to tell them that every day is a gift to be enjoyed.
We need to tell them that we love them unconditionally and that they take our love with them into the future.
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JaneLaverick.com – doing thinking.