- Dear Churches – Stop inviting Satan into your home
- Dear Parents – Your children are lost and need YOU
- Dear Schools – Teaching solely with devices is not really teaching but baby sitting
Each generation says that they live in trying times – Great Granny and Grandpa lived through the World Wars, Granny and Grandpa walked through the snow at 4:00 am to milk the cows, Mom and Dad were denied the toys that they wanted – the list goes on!
My two grown up and overseas children were always pointing out that their friends had more than them – more toys, more games, more food, more devices.
My two schoolgoing children are what one could call unfortunate products of our fast paced often pointless technological environment. My adult children were only allowed phones at 16, whilst the two younger ones received phones at 6 years of age and have managed to have them taken away from them – almost permanently. In addition they have managed to destroy too many electronic devices to count. Their X-Box has a permanent home in my office – and there satan sits as a reminder of just what happens when children become addicted to devices.
We are not alone though as parent after parent reports or posts content of children that become unplayable after playng video games or watching stupid loud mouthed YouTubers scream and shout about not having enough nerf gun bullets… If I hear one more YouTuber mouth off; “Oh God, Oh God” I may just puke.
Did I ever tell you the story about when I first heard “Oh God, Oh God” emanating from the dwarves device? Yup, it sounded like a 70’s porn movie and I did do a double take!
We have all seen the videos of what happens when we take our children’s devices away from them – mayhem, abuse, shouting, screaming, crying and behaviour that is unacceptable.
And yet, we take it, give in and hand over devices; “Just to keep the peace!”
Have you ever stopped to consider just how damaging that enabling behaviour is?
Consider this: “If I had to treat my partner the way that the children treat her when it comes to devices, she would have packed her bags long ago, so why do we allow all children to learn that abuse works when you want something badly enough?”
Here is a challenge:
Take a leaf out your child’s book and the next time that your boss, your partner, your priest, a policeman or anyone else in any position of authority asks you to do something, react in the EXACT same way that your children do when you take a device away from them:
- Throw yourself on the floor kicking and screaming
- Scream a few expletives
- Accuse the person in authority of abusing you
- Point at a peer and say that whatever is being asked is unfair as; “So and so got away with it”
- Throw your stuff on the floor
- Generally be the biggest asshole you can imagine.
Then, when you are called out by that person in authority:
- Threaten to go to the police to report abuse
- Stand and stare blankly at them
- Walk away and continue doing exactly what you were told not to do
- Act surprised and hurt when the consequences of your actions are brought home to you with any form of punishment.
Do yourself a favour and observe how many parents think that it is okay to allow ttheir children access to a device just to shut them up.
Think about the messages we are sending them when we are on our phones giggling and interacting whilst refusing our children the same perceived pleasure.
How many times do you look your children in the eye and actually engage?
If your children walk into your room in the early hours of the morning, don’t greet you at all and demand a device – is that healthy? Do you really think that your children love you or do they love a device more?
Do you demonstrate non-addictive behaviour in yourself?
How many children sit in church with an active device in their hands? Let’s be honest here – anything that turns you away from God is Satan, so you are allowing Satan into a place of worship, a temple of God.
Sure, there are so many apps available to help limit screen time but my fear is that hese measures are too late. We created Satan and now we are fighting a losing battle to control him entering our children’s minds.
Join the movement to claim back healthy living for our children and don’t throw yourself on the floor when I call you out for being a selfish arsehole for enabling your children to be abusive.
Do yourself a favour and do a search on your favourite search engine for; “How can I tell that my child is addicted to video games?”
Some signs of addiction include:
Some signs and symptoms of video game addiction in children may include:
- Unsuccessful attempts at stopping or moderating video game usage.
- Talking about gaming when not playing video.
- Demanding the latest console as an upgrade.
- Using parents payment profiles without permission to buy gaming additions/games online.
- Requiring more time gaming to satisfy the desire to game or to receive the same pleasurable effect as from earlier periods of gaming.
- Lying about how long he/she spends gaming.
- Becoming defensive or combative when asked to turn off games.
- Gaming to escape real life problems.
- Lying, stealing, or engaging in other manipulative or immoral behavior to play video games.
- Difficulty concentrating on important activities such as work or school as a result of video games.
- Loss of interest in non-related gaming activities.
- Experiencing negative mental health or physical health effects when not gaming such as sadness, anxiety, inattentiveness, or irritability (withdrawal).
- Neglecting personal hygiene or physical and mental health at the expense of video games.
- Difficulty relaxing or sleeping due to video games, or compromising sleep in order to game (how many children do you see walking around with dark rings under their eyes?).
- Watch your child when a device is introduced into a social situation – do those eyes focus on it with desire?
Video: How to teach your children disrespect for everyone (including God)
Boilerplate and Editor’s Notes.
More Info on How to teach your children disrespect for everyone (including God) here:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MyPE
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alanstraton
CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za.
Alan Straton
Latest posts by Alan Straton (see all)
- Dreyer Linen Readies Festive Tablecloths and Towels - 8 October 2026
- Loan on Cars Stays Open Seven Days a Week This October - 8 October 2026
- Freeman House Recovery Brings Addiction Care Outdoors - 8 October 2026
- Kaelo Destinations Spotlights Private Safari & Beach Homes - 8 October 2026
- The Gold Avenue Explains How Carat Shapes a Gold Jewellery Offer - 7 October 2026
