“Sent from my shiny companion that’s taken over my life.” That tagline appears at the bottom of any e-mail sent from the smartphone of a friend’s daughter. When I first saw it, I chuckled and thought that such a sentiment was strange for a teenager. Free Book: Return to Order: From a Frenzied Economy to … Read more
“Sent from my shiny companion that’s taken over my life.” That tagline appears at the bottom of any e-mail sent from the smartphone of a friend’s daughter. When I first saw it, I chuckled and thought that such a sentiment was strange for a teenager. Free Book: Return to Order: From a Frenzied Economy to … Read more
“Strong evidence is emerging that we are mostly succeeding in creating a generation of overwhelmed young people paralyzed into learned helplessness.” Robert Pondiscio of the American Enterprise Institute provides this harrowing conclusion. He spelled out the supporting logic in a recent article in Commentary magazine with the compelling title, “The Unbearable Bleakness of American Schooling.” … Read more
“With lockdowns and distance learning, we have forced children into online addiction.” Neurologist Rosanna Chifari Negri raises the alarm in an article published by the Daily Compass: “The phenomenon of the online brain affects the frontal lobe, the seat of decision-making and strategy, which becomes atrophic and loses neurons irreversibly. The thinning of the cortex … Read more
Eighty-eight percent of Americans are zombie eaters, according to a survey commissioned by Snyder Lance, the manufacturers of “Pretzel Crisps.” Zombie eating means eating while staring at a screen. We find zombie eaters everywhere. Few restaurants are without groups or families, in which each person is staring at a smartphone screen. There is something pitiful … Read more
This is a challenging time to be a student. All generations had it rough. They all face the stress of preparing to leave the nest and being responsible for themselves. Graduates in the thirties had to face the Great Depression. Those in the forties had to contend with World War II. The fifties had the … Read more
Few institutions today inspire more contempt among God-fearing Americans than Hollywood. Just the name of “Hollywood” conjures up images of glitzy, degenerate celebrities in gaudy outfits who use their wealth and influence to wage war on what remains of Christian morality. Much subtler than this sexual immorality, yet ultimately more damaging, is the spread of … Read more
We live what might be called a prodigal son illusion. People suffer from the temptation to live prodigal lifestyles in which they engage in the frenetic intemperance of demanding everything instantly and effortlessly. Such a state promises happiness to those who follow the program to the end. However, it does not always deliver what is … Read more
Imagine that you come home on Sunday evening after a weekend trip. There is a message on your home telephone. You hear the voice of a good friend who lives in another state. The friend explains that he is unexpectedly in your town on business. He would like to buy you dinner at one of … Read more
We are accustomed to think that instant communications serve us well. They can be depended upon for emergencies and even improve relationships. However, a recent incident made me question just how instant and how communicative our modern gadgets are. A friend of mine was traveling down the road one evening, and his car suddenly broke … Read more
