I met the most recent iteration of drug dealers the other day and you will not soon believe who it is.
Most of us have serious and legitimate concerns about the quantity and deadliness of modern illegal narcotics plaguing our nation. Everyday countless citizens poison their bodies with these substances provided by nefarious individuals in every community.
However, I never guessed I would see the newest version of peddlers. Who am I speaking of?
Parents!
Stay with me.
I am not talking about the prescribed medications that are often controversial among both doctors and parents; I am talking about a drug that is in almost every home or is in the possession of every child in America.
Have you guessed it yet?
I am talking about cellphones and their usage.
So, I was with an amazing parent who had a child in tow. The child had a cellphone of some sort which was connected to the internet.
Apparently, the parent, using “parental controls” on the device, had limited the number of hours the child could use or be on the device. The child begged with the siren of a true drug addict as the time ticked away nearing the end of the allotted use.
“But mom!” the child cried.
“That’s enough for today. You know the rules,” mom replied calmly.
This was gratifying in its resolve and application.
One of the sad truths of modernity is that we often see trouble only in hindsight. Whether it is world politics or wayward behavior in simple things, the signs were there; we just missed them.
For the record, I applaud any parent that wants to be a parent. They shape their children like no other entity or person can if they remain diligent. And diligent they must be if they are to navigate the future for their children.
And so, in this new age of technology, parents should be on the alert to recognize the “addictions” their children may be experiencing. It isn’t enough to withhold technology as a drug until good behavior exists. It is the insight to look beyond the tool and see the potential danger.
Rather than utilize technology as a pacifier for restless children, the modern parent embraces the responsibility of limiting programming that may stunt future growth.
Sadly, with so many children face down in various devices, the goose may already be cooked.
Next time you see a parent regulating tech time even in the face of enormous pressure from a child, stand with them in solidarity. Addiction is no joke.
It has been said, “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
Since you’ve been a good reader, you can now have an unlimited time in your bible.
Kent Simmons is the pastor of Canyon Community Church in Kingman, AZ.
