Once upon a time, in an America long, long ago, children used to read books and play outside. Then, this amazing thing called technology came along and began changing the way American youth spent their time.
No one paid too much attention while American children across all 57 states (we love you Barry) stayed glued to this amazing box called television, that had shows about a dog named Lassie, and a masked crusader with a Native American translator who rode through the American West and took out the bad guys- all with breaks every eight minutes, so that the corporations who bring such things to you could tell you what food to eat, what clothes to wear, what car to drive, etc.
But technology evolved, and the children of America soon had these little sticks in their hands that they’d use to interact with the television in the form of video games. These games seemed pretty harmless at first, as circled creatures ate dots while being chased around the screen by little ghosts, and some monkey would pick up barrels and throw them down the ladders at the bad guys who were trying to catch him.
Eventually, parents turned a blind eye, as mom and dad were both working, now, the grown up version of those kids, who a generation before had believed those advertisers dispersed between every eight minutes of their favorite shows, and who had run out and bought all of that crap that they were told they needed to own in order to be the best them that they could be.
Somehow, the part about how purchasing all of those consumer items would transform America into a two parent working household, out of absolute financial necessity, was left out.
Anyway, the video games became violent in nature, and in the late 1990′s many parents began monitoring the use of such games. However, when the world economy collapsed after the attacks of Sept. 11, there was just not enough time to monitor everything the kids were doing, as mom and dad and step-mom and step-dad alike had to run out and make as much money as they could in such a fledgling economy so as not to lose all of the wonderful, wonderful things they’d purchases, because that television had told them they must, by God!, and the kids were left to their own devices.
Fast forward to today, and we have parents that not only allow their kids to play such violent, vile, mind-numbing games, but we have some who will fight other Walmart shoppers for the last copy of such games, in this case, Grand Theft Auto 5, so that their kid can have it.
Oh, the evolution of American society.