Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Ford Motor Co. turning focus toward parenting with new models

A car company isn't just a car company anymore. Apparently, vehicle manufacturers also feel the need to parent for morons with even more moronic kids:

[Ford] will roll out a new feature on many 2010 models that can limit teen drivers to 80 miles per hour, using a computer chip in the key.

Parents also have the option of programming the teen's key to limit the audio system's volume, and to sound continuous alerts if the driver doesn't wear a seat belt.

Let's cut through the pleasantries: Ford suddenly is concerned about kids driving faster than 80MPH on the highways? And about drivers wearing seat belts? Consider the source: Ford is one of the three decaying, formerly great American car companies. Add to that a social welfare state where people desire material wealth and comfort without working for it, and you have parents who don't really like to parent but would rather use machines and technology to limit their children - "don't do that" instead of telling them why it's bad and, oh, by the way, setting a good example.

As I stated in my post about quaint parenting gestures vs. real parenting, these actions only breed contempt, and has fostered an increasingly dangerous environment for teenagers and college students whereby as soon as parents and professors aren't around, they're acting out like wild animals and drinking/getting laid as fast and as much as possible. The more parents try to control the MySpace, Facebook accounts, emails, and friends (impossible in these times), the less they respect that authority and the more they act out against it.

Set a good example for your children when they're young: Be good parents, and try to build communities with shared values instead of accepting our reality at face value, then trying to limit a child's participation in that reality through artificial means.

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