America is facing a new dependency epidemic. Across the country, in countless dark basements, private rooms, and secluded offices, average American citizens are plugging into technology and wasting away their lives. It is time that we band together as a democracy and do the right thing: It’s time for an age-limit on technology. Frankly, it must be made a controlled substance.
Some reports show that as many as 8 out of 10 Americans currently use technology on a daily basis. That number may actually be higher for individuals under the age of 18! They use computers, iPods, tablets, cell phones, and a host of other devices. I’ve even heard of some individuals starting to use these items as early as the age of two. Certainly across college campuses, technology use is ubiquitous—even encouraged by those left-leaning, elitist professors—much to the damage of the development of America’s youth.
Technology addiction leads to anti-social behavior; regular consumption of pornography; piracy of art and media; obesity; and, in extreme cases, freedom of speech. It is our responsibility as good American citizens to set a better example for our children and for the free world by placing age restrictions on the use of technology. Personally, I think we should follow the example set by the drinking age—nobody under 21 should be allowed to use technology, and well-informed adults who do use technology should do so out of sight of minors. In addition, any adults providing minors with access to technology (either directly or indirectly) should be forced to pay a hefty fine, as well as having their right to technology revoked. After all, a similar system has worked exceedingly well for alcohol, as everyone knows, and tobacco products. Gone are the days of underage drinking, of high-school students smoking cigarettes, of teenagers having destructive weekend parties while their parents are away, thanks to our efforts to clean up our country. We need to follow suit, consistently, with technology.
Maybe with time, we can even take a stance similar to our highly-successful drug war. As everyone knows, illegal drugs are almost impossible to get a hold of, because they are illegal. The country is undoubtedly safer as a result. In fact, I hope that in 10-15 years’ time, we can have an outright constitutional ban on technology. Although this will certainly, at first, lead to a black market and the appearance of technology cartels, we can use our vast resources as the world’s most powerful nation to shut them down, just as we did during alcohol prohibition and today in our ongoing (but winning) drug war. The tax burden of a few more corrupt citizens being put into prisons for ignoring the laws would be minor, and most good citizens would do the right thing and give up technology completely if the government said so. After all, they’ve been taught since birth to believe everything they are told, to tremendous effect.
Economically, much good would come of a technological ban. Foremost, we could increase the police force across the country significantly at first, thereby putting more Americans to work. And by replacing modern technology with more wholesome books, landline phones, cable television, and records, we’d reestablish dying industries and revitalize our economy fully. I wouldn’t be surprised if other countries followed suit, seeing how successful our efforts become, and start importing our goods again.
Imagine a world without technology, where nobody is ever exposed to the temptation to connect, share ideas, exchange information, and learn about anything and everything all at the same time. It’s not difficult to look at the older generations, in their infinite wisdom and enlightenment, as a model for the future. I’m proud of the government’s efforts so far with such attempts as SOPA and PIPA to begin to cut down on this ugly modern tendency, and I truly hope the Obama administration will not back down on its efforts to cut Americans off from their technology addiction.
In closing, I hope you’ll all join me in writing your Congressmen to tell them that you want to see a serious discussion about the merits of a technological ban in the forthcoming sessions. They’ve proven so adept in the past at obeying our wishes, as they’ve been elected to do, that I see no reason to suspect they won’t do so again, should enough of us raise our voices.
Some reports show that as many as 8 out of 10 Americans currently use technology on a daily basis. That number may actually be higher for individuals under the age of 18! They use computers, iPods, tablets, cell phones, and a host of other devices. I’ve even heard of some individuals starting to use these items as early as the age of two. Certainly across college campuses, technology use is ubiquitous—even encouraged by those left-leaning, elitist professors—much to the damage of the development of America’s youth.
Technology addiction leads to anti-social behavior; regular consumption of pornography; piracy of art and media; obesity; and, in extreme cases, freedom of speech. It is our responsibility as good American citizens to set a better example for our children and for the free world by placing age restrictions on the use of technology. Personally, I think we should follow the example set by the drinking age—nobody under 21 should be allowed to use technology, and well-informed adults who do use technology should do so out of sight of minors. In addition, any adults providing minors with access to technology (either directly or indirectly) should be forced to pay a hefty fine, as well as having their right to technology revoked. After all, a similar system has worked exceedingly well for alcohol, as everyone knows, and tobacco products. Gone are the days of underage drinking, of high-school students smoking cigarettes, of teenagers having destructive weekend parties while their parents are away, thanks to our efforts to clean up our country. We need to follow suit, consistently, with technology.
Maybe with time, we can even take a stance similar to our highly-successful drug war. As everyone knows, illegal drugs are almost impossible to get a hold of, because they are illegal. The country is undoubtedly safer as a result. In fact, I hope that in 10-15 years’ time, we can have an outright constitutional ban on technology. Although this will certainly, at first, lead to a black market and the appearance of technology cartels, we can use our vast resources as the world’s most powerful nation to shut them down, just as we did during alcohol prohibition and today in our ongoing (but winning) drug war. The tax burden of a few more corrupt citizens being put into prisons for ignoring the laws would be minor, and most good citizens would do the right thing and give up technology completely if the government said so. After all, they’ve been taught since birth to believe everything they are told, to tremendous effect.
Economically, much good would come of a technological ban. Foremost, we could increase the police force across the country significantly at first, thereby putting more Americans to work. And by replacing modern technology with more wholesome books, landline phones, cable television, and records, we’d reestablish dying industries and revitalize our economy fully. I wouldn’t be surprised if other countries followed suit, seeing how successful our efforts become, and start importing our goods again.
Imagine a world without technology, where nobody is ever exposed to the temptation to connect, share ideas, exchange information, and learn about anything and everything all at the same time. It’s not difficult to look at the older generations, in their infinite wisdom and enlightenment, as a model for the future. I’m proud of the government’s efforts so far with such attempts as SOPA and PIPA to begin to cut down on this ugly modern tendency, and I truly hope the Obama administration will not back down on its efforts to cut Americans off from their technology addiction.
In closing, I hope you’ll all join me in writing your Congressmen to tell them that you want to see a serious discussion about the merits of a technological ban in the forthcoming sessions. They’ve proven so adept in the past at obeying our wishes, as they’ve been elected to do, that I see no reason to suspect they won’t do so again, should enough of us raise our voices.
