• AMERICA’S DIVIDED POLITICS ARE ALSO EVIDENT IN PARENTING STYLE. In the last couple decades ‘GENTLE Parenting’ has evolved under a philosophy that children’s poor behavior is attributable to the parent’s attitude, and that by consistent and calm explanation kids will learn to make the right choices. ‘AUTHORITATIVE’ Parenting – aka ‘FAFO Parenting’ (“Fuk Around and Find Out,” coined by the Wall Street Journal after usage by President Trump) – is when parents “hold the line on boundaries and don’t intervene, letting kids learn the consequences of poor behavior, learn to trust themselves because they know where the boundaries are, and learn what commitments entail.” Examples are toddlers continually throwing toys out of a stroller or food on the floor (sometimes just to see what happens next), or breaking a rule about phone or screen time, cutting a class or after-school lesson or activity. FAFO approach is they don’t get the toy or food back, lose the phone or iPad privileges, or get grounded. The resurgence of hardline parenting is based on belief that “the era of a participation trophy is over, and FAFO strategy is necessary for a child’s survival in a harsh world.” [PATRIOT POST]

 

  • LATEST STUDY ON CHILDREN WHO ARE PROVIDED ACCESS TO SMARTPHONES BEFORE AGE 13 found them “more likely to suffer severe mental health problems down the line.” Tracking longitudinal data from a massive mental health database on more than a hundred thousand adolescents aged 18 – 24, results showed those who got phones when younger “experienced more suicidal, ideation, aggression, reality detachment, and hallucinations as they aged. Compared to their counterparts who got first smartphones above age 13, girls reported lower self-image, self-worth, confidence, and emotional resilience, while boys were less calm, stable and empathetic. Principal factors impacting these results include social media access, cyberbullying, disrupted sleep, and poor family relationships.” [FUTURISM/ NEOSCOPE]

 

  • AS SOCIETAL DIVISION INCREASES, POST-RETIREMENT DEPRESSION IS A GROWING CONCERN. Studies across the world have found that ‘Retirement’ actually reduces risk of Depression by about 20%. However, the majority of factors which impact actual health and happiness are related to loss of daily routines, degree of physical & mental activity, sense of identity & purpose, social interactions & connections, as well as financial position to enjoy the perks of non-work responsibilities. For men, just leaving a stressful job seems to clearly provide the most beneficial impact, but the other critical factors are seldom considered prior to Retirement Planning decisions, often leading to distressing levels of depression in the final life phase. DCG have provided decades of Exit Planning guidance to business owners & families to best avoid this dilemma; call Dennis for courtesy consult.

 

  • “THE DEEP STATE HAS WEAVED A REGULATORY LEVIATHAN INTO A STRAIGHTJACKET on the American economy, made of hundreds of thousands of bureaucratic rules and mandates. The National Ass’n of Manufacturers estimates red tape adds $25K per worker in costs. For small manufacturers, it’s $50K. DOGE built an AI tool that analyzed over 200,000 federal regulations to determine which ones are not in fact legal, or had expired – roughly half which they estimate cost us $3.3 trillion per year. DOGE found just 38% of federal regulations are legal, with another 12% which aren’t exactly legal but they’re ‘needed’ by the agencies.” A Bureau of Labor Standards analysis reported a “societal hidden tax equivalent to 22% of the federal budget – more than every category except housing (e.g. food/ apparel/ transportation/ health care/ entertainment/ insurance/ pensions/ etc.).” [PETER St ONGE]

 
THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK

 

  • “AI will cause global collapse, destroy jobs, and launch us into a 12 to 15-year dystopia that will change everything.” Astonishing perspective from the former Chief Business Officer of GoogleX, contending that “challenges from humans in control will result in complete change in definitions of freedom/ accountability/ connection/ economics/ innovation/ power/ and Reality, evolving to a global Utopia which will be salvation of humanity.” A lengthy but fascinating perspective.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9a1nLw70p0
  • While larger American and European companies are looking to boost productivity by continuing to increase their requirements for office attendance, with many manufacturers and consumer-facing firms expecting a minimum 60% or working days to be office based, hybrid working has, since the pandemic, become a fixture of modern working life for all generations of workers, and an continuously increasing number of workers are choosing to hand in their notice rather than return to office – a conflict with potentially huge ramifications for next several years. [TELEGRAPH.CO]