Resist

I just got to thinking about how many former students have struggled with addictions. We blame and shame the individual but not the companies marketing and profiting- from what I consider criminal acts of propaganda. Companies (BM's- business model sorts) like alcohol, pharmaceutical, tobacco/ juul, technology prey on the insecurities of kids that they, the BM's, helped to create in the first place.

It breaks my fragile heart to hear about students as young as 9 withdrawing. Withdrawing from school, from life, and are getting nicotine patches, more drugs just to 'function'. Young, young teens are joining 12 step groups and if they are 'lucky' get intense psychotherapy.

On the one hand I am proud and impressed- but not surprised with the strength and resilience of students. It just simply does not have to be this hard! Life is hard enough without vultures, sinister greedy BM bastards that use data to harvest children.

There is no face for these companies for us to face. We/ I can only look at the faces of kids. Why not blame them? "If you kids only"... and sadly we do blame them. I would like to teach how massively powerful and destructive ads are- the subtle daily, hourly whiffs of disappointment for not being perfect.

Yea, may I suggest the next time you/we shame a kid for getting in trouble, doing drugs, drinking to excess- that we pause- and put the anger and fear towards the true culprit. Big BM's.

And to be fair, it is not BM's fault either. They are doing what is in their nature. To profit at all costs.

And we/ I need to do what is in my nature. RESIST.