I’m going to share something with you today that might alarm you, and it should. We are in a very dangerous time in society and it’s extremely important that we take control before we lose our children forever.
One of my coaching clients is a psychiatrist in Los Angeles. He recently shared some statistics with me that made me want to throw up! See, his whole job is about counseling families. He told me the number one thing he deals with each week is helping families get off the electronics that damage their relationships.
Morgan Wright, the cybersecurity expert in our Mastermind Group community, shared a saddening statistic with us. Teen suicide rates have been steadily climbing since 2007, and suicide attempts among teens are reaching an all time high.
You know what happened around 2007? We were all introduced to Facebook. Now I’m not here to say I’m anti-Facebook. I’m not. It’s an amazing tool. I love it and I use it to communicate with my network all the time. The danger of Facebook is that it feeds the image of a fantasy world. Kids these days can’t cope with reality. They can’t get off social media. They can’t get off the electronics, and they commit suicide. It breaks my heart!
I hear parents say things all the time like “I don’t know what to do with my children. I can’t get them to come out of their room. I can’t get them to do chores or play outside. All they do is play video games.”
Listen parents, I'm going to say some things that some of you might not want to hear, but you know what, it’s your fault! Who’s buying them the video games? Who provides the connection to the internet? Who allows them to get their first cell phone?
My brother has a young son, and recently his son was riding a skateboard down the hill in front of the house. My brother had told his son not to ride down that hill, and he warned him again not to do it. The next day he looked outside and his son was riding down the hill with the skateboard on fire! He literally poured lighter fluid on the skateboard, lit it, and rode down the hill. My brother went out there and cut the skateboard in half with a saw and asked him “Well, how do you like your skateboard now?” His son replied “I like it about half as much as I used to.”
Parents, the point is, if you need to cut a device in half, throw it away, turn off the internet, whatever you need to do to get your kids off the electronics, do it. It is your responsibility as a parent to teach your children the difference between fantasy and reality, and how to balance electronics with the rest of life.
I don't get it. I think we've really lost our minds. And I'm gonna even go a step further. This is going to make some of you mad, but you need to hear it. Right now there are some parents out there living a double standard. You complain about your children being glued to electronics when you can’t get off the internet yourself. You need to be leading your kids. You need to set the example. Show them what’s important by doing what’s right.
If you don’t spend more time and energy setting a good example for your children and teaching them essential life skills, you are going to regret it. You’re going to look back and wonder why your offspring are inept. You’ll wonder why they can’t carry a conversation with an adult. You know why? Because you didn’t make them get off the internet and do the things they were supposed to be doing.
My Mom used to say, “You're gonna respect me out of love or fear, you take your pick. I don't care which way you go, but you’re going to respect me. I'm the parent, you're the child. You're too ignorant to know the difference. I'm the one in charge.”
What we deal with today is no different. The kids are too ignorant to make a good decision. It's your responsibility as the parent to oversee their screen time. Let them use the devices, but know when to cut them off. They need to come out of their room and they need to interact with people in public places.
I praise God for women like my mom and my wife. When my wife and I had children she insisted on no electronics at the table. She said “We are going to sit here and eat as a family and discuss the day. Not in front of the TV, not in our own bedrooms, not on electronic devices. We will be here together at the dinner table because we are a family.”
We have an awesome responsibility to take care of our kids and raise them the right way. We have to take control of the electronics. Don’t be a lazy parent and create a monster that can’t interact with other people. God gave us kids to oversee and to bring up into society and help them function as successful adults. We need to take responsibility and raise our children correctly.
According to recent statistics, the number one deterrent before premarital sex is having dinner together as a family. Your kids need an outlet! They are going to find it one way or the other. So it’s time we stand up and take control of our children’s lives. We need to step up and take ownership of electronics or this epidemic will continue.
I don’t usually have rants like this, but I’m really upset about where our children’s future is heading. Please, parents, take control of this situation. If you don’t you will look back someday and deeply regret it. Give your children an outlet to discuss their lives with you. Eat dinner together as a family. Spend quality time together without electronics. Don’t be a lazy parent. Set a good example for your children and raise them in a way that prepares them for the real world.
Don’t let your offspring live in a fantasy world. Teach your children to live on purpose!
