Glow Kids by NIcholas Kadaras, Thank you Paula Poundstone!

I read a book on the train titled, Glow Kids by Nicholas Kardaras suggested to me by Paula Poundstone. She wrote the first review... I did not know.  The book was very disturbing for the future of the children that are being babysat with smooth screen devices instead of being actively involved with parents or caregivers with tactile activities, music, dance, art, hiking, kayaking, etc.

The DVD movie player on the back of the head seats in a car to make a long trip more enjoyable for the parents mainly, the kids like another movie and they are quiet.  Then there are the kids that are latch key kids with no one home especially in teen years so they play Warcraft games or GameBoy to occupy their lonely hours connecting with other kids around the world, also left alone.  And let's not forget TV with its dead walking characters and the unreal reality shows that kids watch hoping to find a real life to copy.

The kids are learning to be desensitised to humans, that can be killed with a flick of a wrist, destroyed. Kids are getting a high from winning a violent game that involves killing the opponents views instead of learning to talk with an opposing viewpoint to sort out disagreements.

Now there are kids being tried in courts for killing the parents and going to prison. Parents
that had simply taken away their electronic devices. This is destroying the family unit for sure and the family values of kindness, forgiveness, and patience are not being learned at home.

Is this what we have come to as Americans?  We leave everything in the hands of the doctors and pharmaceuticals to remedy the damage that technology can do/has done to the kids, our kids?  Parents spend more time away from the children, leave them with babysitters, put on another DVD to keep them occupied.  But what are we teaching these children that we want to keep quiet all the time?

With the divorce rate being what it is, the single parents having to work to support the children left behind and getting home to have no time for the kids because they are exhausted, we have a problem here.  This evolution of techno brain washed kids and the absent parents will create another generation of adults that... only time will tell if they can survive in the real world.

The book teaches, #1 Do not give your kids a cell phone.  #2 Do not give them unsupervised time on games  #3 Do not let kids be on smooth electronic devices including TV more than a total of 2 hours a day.

Most bullying now is on facebook, instagram, and through texting.  If the children don't have the devices, they can't read these harmful words.

(Sending a nude selfie to anyone is definitely out of the question!  Most of us were brought up this way at home. For anyone to consider this is a reveal of a disturbing state of a person's mind. A boorish but feeble attempt to get attention, and it will work for those who see themselves as nothing.)

This part of not having a device to read bullying comments I believe in, but I also know the biggest influence is the bio parents. We the parents have to be the example and get off the phones, the laptops, the ipads, and spend more time with the family than the devices.  The parents need to teach kids the good self image, the kindness, the understanding, to help them get through the bullies they encounter at middle and high school. 

And remember this: the kids that are doing the bullying learned that from their home environment too.  I have witnessed teachers, mothers, fathers, in elementary, middle, and high school bullying children that don't agree with their philosophies. I saw it in college too.  This behavior is learned from the adults everywhere.  We adults are the problem and we adults need to solve it first by becoming aware we are the beginning of the problem and then DO the work to CHANGE. We need to be the example to our own kids.

Then our kids have a chance for survival. The world is a friendly place but only if you perceive it that way.  You will never perceive it that way if you spend more time on electronic devices than you do with real social face to face connections with human beings, meditate, practice positive thoughts, forgiveness, and thankfulness. This builds positive self image and good character.

Yet this is reality.  Some parents may say,"The thinning of the herd will happen," and do nothing for their kids.  And these Glow Kids will lose touch with reality and commit suicide and or end up in jail unless parents wake up and intervene.  Read GLOW KIDS, for scientific facts and your own knowledge. Like Buddha taught, "Don't believe a word I have said, unless you see it and make reason of it yourself." 

Thankful for all children that help us adults wake up and see truth every generation. Thankful for Paula Poundstone suggesting a book with scientific data to help all children.