I saw a very disturbing commercial on television today.
I actually had to check to see if I was dreaming or not because this commercial was simply so unbelievable, so pathetic, so not what Americans needs for its children today, that a Reality Check was in true order!
Without advertising here for this service, there now exists an On-Line School option for children.
Not adults going to college, but for kids to attend school on-line! Kudos to the creators of such a thing, but really?
Our children these days are far too removed from society and socialization already! With video games, emails, IMing, texting and withdrawal from actually getting out of the house to play, attending school has become the last standing effort to help our kids be kids and socialize with peers!
Now, and option exists for our children to never leave home. This is insanity!
Home Schooling has always been a viable option for kids who truly cannot flourish in a classroom and for those parents who do the schooling themselves.
This idea simply puts our kids in front of a computer screen (like they need to more of this!) to attend school. Kids who are more than capable of being a part of the public or private school atmosphere and experience. Bad Idea!
Before I go further on why I believe this is a huge mistake, let me propose this thought: are parents afraid of school violence, bullying or any other danger their children may encounter while attending a real school?
My belief is this “e-schooling” option is nothing but an entrepreneurial effort that preys upon frightened parents!
While bullying is real, parents and schools need to work together to meet that challenge, not ignore it. School shootings are a very real threat as well, but is keeping your child “safe and sound” at home a reasonable option to fight these psychos that cause such destruction?
We have already been doing our share of denying our children of growth and natural emotional socialization by arranging play dates, and allowing them to be entertained for hours on end by video games instead of going out to play!
These results of this protection are becoming more an more clear as time goes on! Kids are very lacking in social skills and becoming more and more self-minded when they are so isolated!
We are doing our Youth no favor by providing “All they need” from home!
Children need to be children, and be with other children to grow emotionally, reduce the risk of suicide, understand human interaction and learn from each other!
Going to School has become the last remaining way for children to interact daily with other children, and get them out of their cyber-powered, text-fueled and video gamed lives! E-Schooling is an extremely bad idea! In fact, we need to be moving in the opposite direction! Getting our children involved, out-of-the-house, more self-sufficient and interacting with their peers! Anything less than that is depriving our children of Childhood, period.
My soon-to-be -released (Fall or early Winter 2013), book, “Socialcide(tm): How America is Loving Itself to Death,” will address a great deal of this need and idea! I encourage all parents or guardians of children to become part of the solution to this problem now! Please feel free to ask me how, by emailing me at LeoJBatt@aol.com. I would be more than happy to discuss healthy alternatives, and assist you with any issues you may be having with your children. Thanks!
Read more posts by Leo Battenhausen, MSW, addiction and mental health counselor. Leo is a blogger for JenningsWire.
