Page 42 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 20

Re-Education

and easy, but also as something that phones. But frankly, that’s not good questions, which are not only of in-
can bring all sorts of benefits. One enough. Although filtering is better terest to parents but also of concern
TikTok influencer, Alex Consani, 18, than no filtering, all filtering technol- to each of us; we are all impacted.
says in a video that followers may be ogy is imperfect. Furthermore, while Hence, we must wake up to the dan-
only “one oestrogen pill away from filtering technology can filter explicit ger these technologies, applications,
a glow up.” As the Mail explains, “A materials, the kind of propaganda etc. pose, ask appropriate questions,
‘glow up’ is a mental, physical and being posted on TikTok is designed and demand that those in govern-
emotional transformation for the to get around filtering by purporting ment take swift action to protect our
better.” to be “educational material” about youth, families, and society.
“human rights” and “health.”
Take millions of kids going through
the already-confusing period of ado- Filtering technology is a poor re-
lescence and sexual development, placement for good parenting and
isolate them during a pandemic, give oversight. If, for whatever reason
them 24/7 access to the Internet, (and, as mentioned, I can’t think of
and then flood their minds with a good one), a parent feels that they
radical content suggesting that all must give their children a smart-
their angst and other problems may phone, that does not excuse them
be due to being born in the “wrong from frequently checking what their
body,” and propose adopting a children are viewing, and frequently
transgender identity as the “solu- talking with their children about the
tion,” and it is inevitable that some responsible use of technology. The
will decide to give transgenderism same goes for all computers and
a try. televisions in the house.

Some of these, alas, will be perma- Concerned parents would not invite
nently and profoundly harmed by the local drag queen into their home
the experiment, ending up in a dark for unsupervised conversations
world of sexual confusion, with with their children. So why would
bodies permanently mutilated and they give their children a device that
sterilized by irreversible drug regi- allows them to potentially spend
mens and surgeries. endless hours listening to that same
drag queen (or worse) tell their child,
Don’t Give Your Children in graphic detail, precisely how they
Smartphones. Period. can socially, medically, and surgical-
All I can say by way of conclusion ly alter themselves to become the
is to reiterate something that I have opposite sex, and how they can go
said many times in the past: Parents, about hiding all of this from their
don’t give your children smart- own parents?
phones. Period.
Yes, that is what these people are
Just don’t do it. doing. And they are doing it with the
enthusiastic support of the big-tech
The brother of someone I know companies, like TikTok, that have
said that when he sent his children captured the rapt attention of tens
to a local public school, his children of millions of our children. As a
were the only children in the entire parent, your job is to say, “No! Not
school who did not have a smart- in my house. Not with my children.”
phone.
Any technology, application, pro-
Of course, some of the parents of gram, or virtual platform can have
children with smartphones proba- incredible benefits, as well as dan-
bly had filtering on their children’s gerous downsides. Both raise ethical

42 | we tell the true afrikan story