Just think about this, whatever your child or your niece, nephew and some strangers kids are feeding their eyes with is likely attached to a clown or maybe a cynical conglomerate that knows social media and children fed algorithms will make them rich. Those little eyes looking for comfort, or simplistic entertainment and viral content are creating the future millionaires, perhaps billionaires given inflation.
In the past television had dedicated time spots and channels for children, then the internet and the many devices gave us access to so much media that ignorance should be impossible. Rather, we stopped searching and seeking out things and instead allow the algorithm to dribble before our eyes, liking and on sharing these micro clips or memes to others with a vapid fascination. It’s entertaining. Now imagine you are a child.
The average attention span of the adult…who am I kidding, reading over five hundred words in one sitting is almost impossible for many grown men now, let alone boys. The girls and women are still reading but that tends to meander into paranormal romance, self help and the mental health diatribe. We understand the dangers of gorging ourselves on junk food, over eating and not exercising. It is still fashionable to shame the obese, it is after all most of them expressing a choice and a lifestyle. Exceptions exist.
As for those who have mental obesity, that is celebrated. Why are those who are wilfully ignorant celebrating it? The disdain for books and reading is not a glorious feat, sitting through three hour long shitfests sold as cinema but having no time to read a book, or anything is a rather fascinating statement. Maybe making a model kit, or indulging in crafts or something alternative to what one would ordinarily do to challenge the mind. Those little kids, they absorb and see. They can’t hear you over what you are doing.
And as much as you may find Mr Beast, Destiny, Ninja, the Pauls and well I just can’t keep up, odd and not the best of role models. What are you doing to counter those influences. When Mr Jarfart starts spitting out his content to the delight of little children being babysat for much of their day from devices, in a decade or so time he will become rich and influential. Politics and influence will attach to his brand and in the age where the Hollywood celebrity is waning through arrogant suicide, they will be replaced by social media miscellaneous. You are in control of who becomes that next big thing.
