There\u2019s a party in the park today. There\u2019s a Bounce for the kids \u2013 one of those soft cages kept inflated by an infernal combustion engine spewing noise and fumes for the next 10 hours. You gotta have a Bounce. Otherwise, what would the kids do for fun \u2013 run and play like generations before them? (Not today\u2019s kids: they\u2019ll be on their iPhonePadPlayers texting each other and playing games that involve destroying.) <\/p>\n
I have a feeling the noise-generating Bounce is a gateway to a lifetime of similar toys: the BMX, the ATV, the JetSki, all towed behind the self-contained RV with microwave and DVD player, powered by a generator. Now, surely, this is a coincidence. Surely, the Bounce isn\u2019t a cynical tool for pushing children into a lifelong consumer rut (both meanings). However, where does running and playing in the park lead: walking, hiking, maybe even the quiet contemplation and appreciation of one\u2019s surroundings. Where\u2019s the profit in that?<\/p>\n
Of course, the Bounce provides parents with a place to deposit the kids while they check their email. They may even get a few minutes to talk with other grown-ups, if they can hear each other over the din.<\/p>\n
And tomorrow the park will be strewn with more trash than usual. This obliviousness, indifference, and disdain of place is the logical culmination of our evolution: we don\u2019t need no stinkin\u2019 Earth. The anthrosphere transcends place. When this planet is used up, we\u2019ll order another one. There\u2019s an app for that, surely.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There\u2019s a party in the park today. There\u2019s a Bounce for the kids \u2013 one of those soft cages kept inflated by an infernal combustion engine spewing noise and fumes for the next 10 hours. You gotta have a Bounce. Otherwise, what would the kids do for fun \u2013 run and play like generations before … Continue reading Teach Your Children Well<\/span>