Please Tell Me This Isn't Real: Emojis Are the Things We Are Worried About??

Okay, don’t get me wrong, The Week Junior is one of my all-time favorite magazines for my children (and truth be told my father reads every edition we have when he comes to visit.)

But THIS is the front page? This is “The Big Debate?”

As of lately I have had to watch my son like a hawk because he has recently discovered videos on YouTube of parents filming their children screaming at the doctors getting “six shots at once” that is deemed acceptable even with parental controls turned on, but emojis are our concern?

We are witnessing unprecedented increases in anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, self-doubt and so on with our youth, but emojis are our concern?

We have seen increases in neurodiversity in our youth at rates greater than any other “disability” (or can we all agree to prefer “different ability”) without seeing the corresponding funding support or professional development support to help our mainstream educators be equipped to handle the different learning styles and we are focused on emojis?

This is what we do though - we use the “easy” things to point to and assign blame rather than pausing to reflect on what the real cause of dissent could be.

Unfortunately, in many ways we have become a society and culture that often prefers to find a magic pill to treat the symptom rather than going deep to treat the root problem.

And then wondering why we are “getting worse” instead of “getting better.”

Debating emojis is a lot easier than taking an honest look at the fact that despite being more connected as a society, we are less connected as HUMANS.

Who cares whether we write in full sentences or use little pictures when the primary concern should be that despite having thousands of friends and “likes” many people are feeling alone and isolated - children and adults.

Somehow, I don’t think it is the emoji that will be the primary offense to someone.

I don’t believe an emoji is going to take away our ability to be thoughtful or creative.

I am struggling to grasp how there is even a debate over it.

Can we debate about the trauma of those kids in the video getting six shots at once while their parents choose to film them instead of comforting them?

Can we go back and debate how we can modernize our schools and our course of education to reflect the changing social, emotional and learning needs of our students to match the strengths, skills and struggles our children are facing today?

Can we debate about how the need for genuine, vulnerable, authentic human connection is at an all-time high right now?

I know, I know it is time to get off my soap box - it was only a magazine article.

But man, I am so ready for the conversations and debates and articles that dive deep into the “what are we doing to ourselves and others?” not the “how’s the weather” level of conversation.
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There is such a need right now to heal as a human race.

So please, if you want to talk and debate about anything let’s connect. And I promise I won’t care if you send me a lengthy email or a thumbs up.

Emojis Are Welcome too!