I asked a question to my students yesterday for their journal prompt at the beginning of class. "Would you pull the wings off of a beautiful butterfly for $100? How about $1000? How about a Cockroach? $100? $1000? " The students overwhelmingly went for the money. A select few said that they would not do the Butterfly for $100, but the $1000 was too much to say no to.
I upped the ante and asked them, "Ok what if I let you push a button that gave you $1 million dollars every time you pushed it, but by pushing the button it killed someone that you have never met before from anywhere on the planet?"
The answers were appalling, sick, and left me terrified.
"I'd push it at least ten times"
"There's overpopulation in China anyways"
"Odds are I'd get someone from Africa who is dying from Aids anyways"
These answers came from the same students who just LOVE their video games, and for some reason I can't figure out, also LOVE looking at muscly guys from UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). These kids have very low respect for human life and are BIG fans of violence.
I hear of my students going to their own "UFC" fights in their backyards and basements. My brother was invited to go film one of these fight nights at a local college.
Seriously, what in the Hell has happened?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Or did I just answer my own question....
I'm only 9 years removed from high school, and I remember what it was like. Most kids were generally happy, smart, and had bright futures. This generation has some major issues and I can't figure out where it's all stemming from.
The best I can come up with is that many parents have just stopped trying. Buy the kid an I-pod, an X-box, and a car and they'll leave you alone.
We occasionally talk about movies in my classroom (big surprise huh) and it is sad to hear students say things like, "When my mom let me watch Saw when I was in 5th grade I was terrified" "Freddy Krueger gave me nightmares when I was in elementary school"
WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!?!?!?!!!!!
KIDS SHOULD NOT BE WATCHING THAT STUFF!
ADULTS SHOULD NOT BE WATCHING THAT STUFF!
But hey, hit play and you can leave the room while the idiot box ruins your kids.
I plead with any parents who are reading this blog, to go turn the t.v. off and take your
kids on a walk. Play frisbee! Collect bugs! (just don't tear their wings off) Do art projects! Don't let your kids get caught up in the current onlsaught of media distorting this generations' sense of reality! If you want them to watch t.v., go buy the old muppet show on DVD! I have 3 seasons ammased already for when my son gets old enough to understand t.v.-out
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