TV is the mind numbing drug of the masses. "I saw it on TV" is the sad response of the indoctrinated masses when I ask them where they heard some silly assertion. I laugh out loud when I hear this even though it's more sad than funny. I was asked to babysit a couple of toddlers for friends who wanted a night out. The kids went into hysterics as I searched on their TV (which must always be on ) for a nature show. They kept screaming and crying for Sponge Bob till I gave up. The skit of the evening was about dangerous harmful news. The sea creatures rioted and invaded the news station to shut it down and take all the newscasters money. The kids loved it as I was horrified at the blatant propaganda being presented to children. Next time I was asked by the same parents to care for their children I unplugged the TV, took away the cell phones to stop the video games and disconnected their computer. Tricked them into going outside where I conned them into chase games as they schemed on getting back to their electronics back. Not on my watch, kids! Twenty minutes before their parents were due to return I made a deal they could have everything back if they cleaned their messy room. They agreed and spent they next twenty minutes cleaning and putting away their things. Their parents arrived and I told mom and dad where the phones were as I left. The new generation is welded to their devices, games, social media and entertainment of constant fictional movies. They live in a fictional cartoon version of false reality. I see parents ignore their children's efforts to gain meaningful attention and then hand them a cell phone to play games on. Went to a small family Thanksgiving dinner but everyone who wasn't making dinner was glued to a phone so I left. The hostess chased after me wanting to know what was the matter. I told her I didn't really come for the food as I can feed myself well enough alone but came to socialize with her family. If they would rather look at their phones and not even speak to me it was pointless for me to be there. She can give me a plate to take home if she liked. She was outraged and accused me of being controlling. Nope, they can do as they wish and ignore me, refuse look up to even greet me but controlling was demanding I sit with people who prefer their devices rather than have conversation. When I was a child the TV was strictly forbidden when we had guests visiting and most strictly forbidden for family dinner. You could listen and participate in conversation or as a child go out to the yard and play games with your cousins. We self organized games based loosely on school games and decided beforehand on any rule changes. We experimented with fireflies smearing their guys on our shirts to form letters, played jousting with smaller kids being the jockey, Simon Says and a bunch more games. Then we would line up to take turns cranking the ice cream machine until it was too stiff to crank and then my aunt would help dishing it out with children served first.