Tag Archives: childhood

Happy Birthday to the Beloved Childhood Friend of Millions: The Nintendo NES Game Console

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TThe Nintendo Entertainment System made its debut in the United States on October 18, 1985—about a year after my arrival, marking 40 years today. It’s almost as if the company sensed there were individuals ready to drop significant sums on plastic contraptions and electronic games. Truly, the entire company seemed to anticipate that a new generation of enthusiasts like me was about to enter the scene. That was indeed the moment to launch. With birthdays and Christmas gifts in hand, we were primed to spend every dollar, even when my dad urged us to keep certain things from my mom. (Perhaps I was the only one uttering that last sentiment.)

Although I’m not much younger than the NES, it felt as though that console had always been part of my life, only now am I confronting its complexities as I type this out. My childhood memories are a blur, focused on mastering the coordination of my hands and eyes, but “Nintendo” was always synonymous with gaming in my world. If a friend inquired whether there’s a Nintendo in the house, it was akin to asking if there was Coca-Cola in the fridge—no additional articles needed.




Pac-Man for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Photo: ArcadeImages/Alamy

My sister and I relentlessly pleaded with our parents for two years to get us an NES. While my mom and dad weren’t overly concerned about the potential pitfalls of gaming—those would emerge later in titles like Doom, Mortal Kombat, and even Stardew Valley—they were wary of investing in pricey toys that required even pricier accessories to function. The Nintendo Entertainment System was touted as cutting-edge technology in the U.S., despite noticeably echoing the design of the VHS cassette player, which ultimately everyone understood it was meant to be. Played. Touching my dad’s home theater triggered quite a reaction, but this was finally a gadget we kids could enjoy.

It’s also important to note that I am part of the first generation to entirely miss the Atari home video game craze of the early ’80s. The Atari system still existed during my childhood, but kids my age recounted it with a historical lens similar to discussing World War II. Just looking at Atari felt like peering into a relic of the past that none of us could fully grasp and cherish. Watching my neighbor turn on an Atari was nothing short of eye-opening. In basketball, a square was practically represented as the ball. No, thank you. I need a moment to recuperate.

But the NES—oh, the NES!—actually showcased graphics reminiscent of arcade games. Was it flawless? Certainly not! Some visuals appear quite rough by today’s standards. Yet, even at five years old, a somewhat blurred version of Pac-Man still felt like Pac-Man. My parents never let me engage in shooting games at carnivals (the reasoning remains a mystery), but duck hunting was the next best thing. No, it was even better! We quickly discovered that all we needed to do was press that silly plastic gun right to the screen and hit the target every single time. It’s a close-range approach you only learn from four-decade-old video games or by becoming a mafia hitman.

NES games also felt much more expansive. Super Mario Bros. seems unusual at present, but do you recall the first moment the plumber stepped through that pipe? My heart melted into something finer and purer. It was a game featuring a vibrant world brimming with surprises and mysteries. While secrets had been part of games before, it felt as though they were there to be discovered. They were not frustration meant to poke fun at developers but instead aid your exploration. We were traversing a fictional kingdom, something akin to a living cartoon, soaring around in quest of a hidden, unobtrusive “?” box.




“Games felt more open”…NES. Photo: Gary Heider/Alamy

Let’s also remember that the NES introduced us to the Mario we so fondly recognize today. Yes, he began as a construction worker confronting Donkey Kong. Luckily, he transitioned to a plumber, becoming the face that adorned every folder, backpack, lunchbox, flask, and bedsheet of mine and most of my friends’. Long before every gaming reference became a viral internet meme, it was part of Nintendo’s internal dialogue. We often quoted the line from the original Legend of Zelda: “It’s dangerous to go alone! Take this with you!”

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Each generation encounters its own cultural landmarks. Yet, the Nintendo Entertainment System played a pivotal role in solidifying gaming culture, particularly in America, where the ZX Spectrum and various home computers didn’t capture the same popularity as they did in Europe. It became a shared language, a toy allowing us to unleash our imaginations, and surely a way for my parents to take a momentary break from their children. I still possess the NES they gifted me, and regardless of what the Man says, you still need to blow into the cartridge to make it work.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Unraveling the Lasting Impact of Childhood Adversity

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Childhood hardships can have lasting impacts

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Individuals facing significant adversity in their early years show elevated levels of specific proteins in their brains, a discovery that may shed light on the connection between childhood difficulties and persistent mental health issues. Moreover, medications targeting this protein could potentially mitigate these effects in the future.

About 1 in 5 adolescents in the U.S. report having experienced at least four potentially traumatic events, such as abuse, neglect, homelessness, or losing a parent. Studies indicate that these experiences can hinder brain development, leading to an increased risk of mental health conditions, including depression, persisting into adulthood.

“The mechanisms through which early life stress and adversity exert lasting effects are still not fully understood,” states Christoph Anacker from Columbia University, New York. “Individuals who have endured childhood trauma usually exhibit lesser responsiveness to current antidepressant treatments.”

Prior studies have indicated that individuals with depression show elevated symptoms such as heightened levels of the protein SGK1 (serum and blood glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 1). While little is known about this protein’s exact role, it seems to affect brain cell processing and information dissemination .

To investigate its effects further, Anacker and colleagues examined SGK1 levels in the postmortem brains of 50 men, 36 of whom had died by suicide. Each participant had completed a questionnaire detailing experiences of physical or sexual abuse before the age of 16.

The research revealed that in the hippocampus—a brain region linked to memory and stress—the levels of genetic material for SGK1 were approximately 33 percent higher in men who had died by suicide compared to those who had not, with even higher levels in those who faced childhood adversity.

In another segment of the study, over 8,500 children aged 9-10 were analyzed, revealing that those diagnosed with depression were more likely to exhibit heightened activity of the SGK1-encoding gene, which was also connected to instances of childhood adversity.

Finally, the researchers conducted an experiment injecting 10 adult male mice daily for 10 days with a novel drug designed to inhibit SGK1. After each injection, the mice were placed in a cage with aggressive counterparts for 5 minutes to elevate stress levels.

At the conclusion of the 10-day study, the treated mice exhibited fewer signs of anxiety and depression than a control group that received saline injections. Notably, the treated group spent more than double the time in the center of a vacant cage rather than cowering in a corner, compared to the control subjects.

“Lowering SGK1 levels in the hippocampus enhances resilience to stress in mice,” states Anacker. A similar biological pathway appears to exist in humans, suggesting that targeting SGK1 may alleviate depression in those who faced early hardships. Although the exact mechanism by which SGK1 contributes to mental health issues remains unclear, one theory is that it inhibits the formation of brain cells in the hippocampus.

While the drug utilized in this study is not yet approved for human use, other SGK1 inhibitors are undergoing clinical trials for specific heart conditions. If proven safe, these could potentially be repurposed for treating mental health disorders, according to Anacker. However, “this fundamental research in rodents is still far from providing the conclusive evidence needed to identify practical drug targets for humans,” notes Katie McLoughlin at Harvard University.

If you need someone to talk to, reach out to the British Samaritans at 116123; the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255; or find hotlines in other countries.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Addressing Rising Childhood Obesity: Strategies Beyond Nutritional Deficiency

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Ultra-processed foods might contribute to the growing obesity epidemic in children

UNICEF/UN0846048/Florence Gou

For the first time, a significant number of children worldwide are experiencing obesity rather than malnutrition. This trend signifies a critical shift in childhood nutrition. While many strategies exist to combat hunger, few address obesity specifically.

“Despite years of attempts to prevent obesity, particularly in children and adolescents, we are not achieving satisfactory outcomes,” notes Andrea Richardson from RAND, a California-based nonprofit research organization.

A new report by Harriet Torres from UNICEF Belgium and her team utilized data from a comprehensive study to evaluate the nutritional status of children aged 5 to 19. This initiative, called the Collaboration of Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factors, encompasses over 160 countries and territories, representing more than 90% of the global child population.

The findings indicate that global childhood obesity rates have nearly tripled since 2000, with around 9.4% of children classified as obese versus 9.2% who are undernourished. This marks a significant moment, as obesity now outnumbers nutritional deficiencies in children.

Most troubling is the sharp increase in obesity rates in low- and middle-income nations. “Over 80% of children facing overweight and obesity globally are from these regions,” highlighting that this is no longer merely a high-income issue; it’s a pervasive global concern.

This situation necessitates that governments and organizations rethink their strategies regarding childhood malnutrition. “We are observing not just nutritional deficiencies but all forms of malnutrition,” asserts Shivani Ghosh from Cornell University, New York. Unfortunately, effective methods to combat obesity are still lacking, unlike those available for hunger.

The UNICEF report criticizes the prevalence of ultra-processed foods in contributing to rising obesity rates among youth. These foods, made using industrial processes, typically contain additives and preservatives and are high in fats, sugars, and salts. Common examples include packaged snacks, candies, chips, and sodas. The report claims that ultra-processed foods contribute to at least half of the calorie intake for children in Australia, Canada, the U.S., and U.K., and about a third in some low- and middle-income countries such as Argentina and Mexico.

Numerous studies indicate that ultra-processed foods correlate positively with obesity rates. However, the policies aimed at reducing their consumption have seldom led to significant declines in obesity.

For instance, Mexico was the first country to impose a tax on certain high-calorie foods and sugar-sweetened drinks in 2014. Following this, sales for these items decreased, particularly among lower-income families. Adolescent obesity rates experienced only minimal change, notably impacting only teenage girls, similar to the outcome in the U.K. after a tax was levied on sugary drinks in 2018.

Conversely, Chile has implemented some of the strictest regulations regarding ultra-processed products. In 2016, it limited marketing for these foods and mandated warning labels for those high in calories, salt, saturated fats, and sugars. As a result, obesity rates among children aged 4-6 decreased by 1-3 percentage points within a year. However, the figures reverted to baseline by 2018, and in 2019, obesity rates in 14-year-olds rose by 2 percentage points, underlining the ineffectiveness of these measures.

Torless provides a different perspective, stating, “No single intervention is sufficient. Some countries are imposing soda taxes, others are labeling foods. While these efforts are commendable, a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach is essential for meaningful change.”

Thus, the report advocates for policies that enhance the availability and affordability of nutritious food, including grants and school meal programs. Furthermore, it highlights the critical role of nutritional education and poverty alleviation. “The same factors contributing to undernutrition parallel those causing overnutrition,” Richardson elaborates. “These issues stem from unsafe drinking water, lack of financial resources, and inadequate access to nutritious food.”

No nation has fully adopted all of UNICEF’s recommendations, leaving the question of their effectiveness in reducing obesity unanswered. “The underlying assumption is an increased consumption of unhealthy foods correlating with rising overweight and obesity rates,” remarks Ghosh. “This could partially explain the trends we’re seeing.”

However, other factors may also play a role, including stress, pollution, and even genetic factors.

“This truly needs to be seen as a major public health crisis,” concludes Richardson. “Our children are our future, and they deserve to be healthy. If they are not thriving, our future looks bleak.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Despite Kennedy’s Assertions, CDC’s Childhood Lead Program Faces Discontinuation

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Amidst claims regarding funding, the federal government’s initiative to prevent childhood lead poisoning is currently inactive.

In April, the program’s 26 personnel went on administrative leave, with a shutdown slated for June 2 as part of a wider restructuring within the Department of Health and Human Services.

As of now, none of the team members have returned, and layoffs are expected to occur in two weeks, according to Eric Svenden, director of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences and Practices at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which encompasses the Childhood Lead Program.

In recent weeks, Kennedy has faced backlash from Democratic senators regarding the reduction of the program, as state and local health departments have stepped in to conduct blood lead testing and monitoring.

At a Senate Approval Committee hearing on Tuesday, Kennedy informed Sen. Jack Reed that the program is still funded. The previous week, he reassured Sen. Tammy Baldwin that he has no intentions of discontinuing it.

However, Svendsen stated that his entire division was disbanded by HHS, making it challenging to easily reassemble.

“There’s no other expert to do what we do,” he remarked. “The public health field is so specialized that you can’t just bring in new staff overnight.”

According to two CDC scientists aware of the situation, staff from the Childhood Lead Program have not been given directives on transitioning their responsibilities.

Even minimal lead exposure poses risks to children’s developmental progress, learning capabilities, and behavior. The CDC program delivered essential expertise to assist underfunded health departments in mitigating these risks. In 2023, it played a role in addressing a national lead poisoning outbreak linked to Cinnamon Applesauce and maintained frequent communication with the Milwaukee Health Department after lead hazards were identified in public schools.

“We have a team in Milwaukee,” Kennedy asserted to Reed on Tuesday, mentioning the provision of laboratory and analytical support to the health department.

However, the Milwaukee Health Department disputed Kennedy’s claim, stating there was no federal epidemiological or analytical assistance connected to the lead crisis.

“Regrettably, this is yet another instance of the secretary failing to provide accurate information,” commented city health commissioner Mike Traitis.

Caroline Reinwald, a spokesperson for the Milwaukee Health Department, explained that the only federal involvement during the major crisis was a “brief two-week visit from one CDC staff member this month, assisting us with lab verification measures.”

“This assistance was separately requested,” Reinwald noted, highlighting that Milwaukee Public Schools sought help due to the crisis and an existing need to enhance the lab’s long-term lead testing capacity.

HHS has announced its intention to continue efforts to eradicate childhood lead poisoning through a newly established department called the Administration for Healthy America. Nevertheless, Democratic lawmakers and environmental health organizations question the sustainability of this work without reinstating the staff.

“Although you mentioned last week that you wouldn’t cut this program, you dismissed the entire office responsible for it,” Baldwin confronted Kennedy during Tuesday’s hearing. “Your choice to terminate staff and eliminate offices endangers children, including thousands in Milwaukee.”

HHS has not responded to inquiries for comment.

At the hearing, Kennedy failed to provide updated information about his agency’s strategies, referencing a court order implemented by the Trump administration that halted federal government reductions.

The severity of Milwaukee’s crisis came to light in February when health officials identified alarming toxin levels in classrooms, corridors, and common areas, exacerbated by deteriorating lead-based paint.

Before the childhood lead program was affected, the CDC engaged with the Milwaukee Health Department weekly, collaborating on a strategy to screen tens of thousands of students for lead poisoning.

The health department reached out to the CDC for assistance on March 26, but Traitis noted that the agency dismissed the childhood lead team on April 1, subsequently denying Milwaukee’s request two days later.

“It’s quite unprecedented, as this marks the first time in at least 75 years that the CDC has rejected an EPIAID request,” he added.

To date, the Milwaukee Health Department has identified over 100 schools built before 1978, the year when federal regulations prohibited lead-based paints for consumer use. Approximately 40 of these have been tested, Traitis reported. Lead contamination has resulted in the closure of six schools since the beginning of the year, with only two reopening.

Currently, about 350 students in Milwaukee are screened for lead poisoning among a potential risk group of 44,000, as reported by Traitis. One case has been linked to the school’s environment, while two more cases stem from exposure in both school and home scenarios. The Health Department is investigating four additional cases that may involve multiple sources of exposure.

Totoraitis explained that while the department routinely investigates lead in residences and rental properties, they were counting on the CDC to aid in expanding inspection capacities for larger buildings. He noted that CDC staff were expected to assist in establishing lead screening clinics and tracing exposure sources.

The health department is managing these initiatives independently now, but Totoraitis expressed concerns about the ability to screen all cases promptly. He estimated that the department could handle approximately 1,000 to 1,200 pediatric lead poisoning cases annually. This encompasses blood lead level testing, chelation therapy for treating lead poisoning, and mitigating exposure by replacing contaminated windows and doors.

Totoraitis expressed hope for hiring two CDC employees who might return soon to clarify lingering questions about managing the crisis.

Ultimately, he remarked, “I hope to receive an email from them saying, ‘Hey, we’ve got our jobs back.’ ”

Source: www.nbcnews.com

New research reveals insights into childhood stress in Neanderthals and Paleolithic humans

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Neanderthal life has been portrayed as historically highly stressful, shaped by constant pressure to survive in harsh ecological conditions, which may have contributed to their extinction. In a new study, paleoanthropologists analyzed the frequency of dental enamel hypoplasia, an indicator of growth impairment due to early life stress, in the largest sample of Neanderthals and Upper Paleolithic humans. Their findings support similar overall stress levels in both groups, but show that there are species-specific patterns in the distribution of its occurrence. They found that the likelihood of growth impairment increased during the weaning process in Neanderthal children and culminated in intensity after weaning, whereas growth impairment in Upper Paleolithic children was limited to the time of weaning and significantly decreased after its expected completion. These results may reflect differences in parenting and other behavioral strategies between the two species, including some that may be advantageous for long-term survival in modern humans.

Neanderthal family. Image courtesy of the Field Museum.

“Neanderthals have traditionally been depicted as living highly stressful lives, including pressures to survive in the harsh and highly variable ecological conditions of Pleistocene Eurasia, which have been thought to have contributed to their extinction,” said Dr Laura Rimmer from the University of Tübingen and her colleagues.

“Modern Upper Paleolithic humans faced similar environmental conditions, but it is generally assumed that they were better equipped to buffer such pressures through their behavioral repertoire.”

“This includes strategies such as greater flexibility and efficiency in resource use and more complex social organisation and networks.”

“Their behavioral repertoire is thought to have given modern humans a competitive advantage over Neanderthals during the Upper Paleolithic, allowing them to survive while Neanderthals became extinct.”

“However, several recent studies have cast doubt on this view, arguing that Neanderthals and modern Upper Paleolithic humans lived similarly stressful lives.”

For the study, the researchers analyzed the enamel of 423 Neanderthal teeth and 444 Upper Paleolithic human teeth.

The researchers investigated early life stress in these individuals by identifying thin horizontal grooves in the enamel that previous studies have demonstrated are associated with early life stressors such as illness, infection, malnutrition, nutritional deficiencies and trauma.

The researchers found that the overall likelihood of enamel defects was similar in the teeth of Neanderthals and modern Upper Paleolithic humans.

“However, we observed that the distribution of dental enamel defects varied across developmental stages: in modern humans, enamel defects were more likely to occur around the time of weaning,” Dr Rimmer said.

In Upper Paleolithic humans, enamel defects were more likely to occur around the age when weaning was estimated to have occurred (between 1 and 3 years) than after the estimated weaning period.

In Neanderthals, enamel defects began to appear during weaning (around 1 year of age), peaked during late weaning (between 2 and 4 years of age), and then tended to decrease.

Scientists hypothesize that the stress experienced by Upper Paleolithic human children during weaning may have been due to increased energy demands that increased their risk of malnutrition.

They propose that Late Paleolithic humans may have helped to reduce developmental stress in their offspring after weaning through strategies such as encouraging long-term dependency on parents, using resources more efficiently and providing offspring with access to food.

They suggest that these strategies may not have been used by Neanderthals, which may have contributed to the long-term survival advantage of modern humans compared to Neanderthals.

“Modern humans may have gained an advantage over Neanderthals by providing better support for their young during these difficult times, such as by protecting them for longer or by providing a better food supply,” said Dr Shireen El-Zaatari, a researcher at the University of Tübingen.

“Neanderthals lived in a particularly cold and harsh climate, which is often said to have led to their extinction.”

“But because over a period of time Neanderthals and modern humans were exposed to the same climatic conditions, we are investigating other explanations.”

of study Published in a journal Scientific Reports.

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LS Rimmer others2024. Differences in childhood stress between Neanderthals and early modern humans reflected in impaired dental enamel growth. Scientific Reports 14, 11293; doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-61321-x

Source: www.sci.news

The unexpected explanation for why humans experience an unusually extended period of childhood

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I was going to start this article differently. But that was before my 10-year-old daughter intervened. In fact, I had already started writing when she got up and tried to trick me. She offered to bet me her ten pounds that I could write red with a regular pencil. Unfortunately for this budding entrepreneur, I turned down the bet. She was so confident that she suspected he was up to something. But I let her reveal the trick. She took her lead pencil in her hand and she wrote, “In red color.” Then she laughed like a hyena and went out to fool her mother.

Our bright little sparks have opinions on everything from video games to sports to books. She’s learning basic algebra and coding, but her Taylor Swift expertise far exceeds mine. But even with all this knowledge, she still has many years to go before she reaches adulthood. If she lives out her average lifespan, she will spend a quarter of her year as a minor.

It is truly strange that humans have long childhoods. No other primate takes this long to reach adulthood. During the evolution of our species, childhood has become significantly longer, along with more obvious physical changes. Traditionally, paleoanthropologists have paid little attention to children, but that is now changing. A series of interesting discoveries over the past few years are building a complete picture of human childhood. When did this seemingly unproductive life stage expand, why was it so long, and what did prehistoric children do? This discovery does more than just shed light on a dark corner…

Source: www.newscientist.com

Thousands Rally for Smartphone-Free Childhood: British Parents Sound the Alarm

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More than 4,000 parents have joined a group pledging to ban their young children from smartphones, amid growing concerns about online safety and the impact of social media on mental health.

The WhatsApp group ‘Smartphone Free Childhood’ responds to concerns about children’s smartphone use and the ‘norm’ of giving children smart devices when they attend secondary school, created by former school friends Clare Furnyhoff and Daisy Green. Founded by Well.

“I have children aged 7 and 9. Daisy has children of a similar age and we both feel really scared and anxious and now it’s 11 years old and it’s normal. I didn’t want him to have a smartphone at his age.”

Fernyhoff and Greenwell hope the campaign will encourage parents to delay giving their children smartphones until at least the age of 14 and ban them from accessing social media until the age of 16.

But what they had hoped would be a small group of friends “empowering each other” turned into a nationwide group after the group reached its 1,000-person capacity within 24 hours of Greenwell uploading the message. It turned into a campaign. Instagram post To promote it.

“We were completely surprised by this,” Fernyhough said. “I’ve gone completely crazy.”


Daisy Greenwell. Photo: Alastair Bartlett/Tilt Shift Creative

The pair encouraged people to form local groups to deal with the demand. “Before our eyes, within 30 minutes, 30 local groups were born across the country, and it continues to grow,” Fernyhoff said.

The group has been transformed into a community to allow more people to participate and currently has approximately 4,500 members.

Smartphones are exposing children to a “world they’re not ready for”, with access to pornography and content about self-harm and suicide, which can have a negative impact on children’s mental health, Furneyhough said. said. “I thought maybe they don’t need it. You don’t need a smartphone at that age. A brick phone can do everything you need.”

Ofcom research shows that 91% of children in the UK own a smartphone by the age of 11, and 44% by the age of 9.

“We thought we had extreme ideas, and that’s why we wanted to be in solidarity with each other, but what we realized was that we were actually pulling the lid on something. I mean, it’s like an open question. I came here by mistake, and people really need to talk about this, and a lot of people feel the same way we do. I feel like I can’t talk,” Fernyhoff said.

Brianna Gee’s mother, Esther Gee, earlier this week called for a complete ban on social media for under-16s, calling for a complete ban on social media access for under-16s, unless tech companies take steps to restrict access to harmful content. , said there would be more people with mental health problems.

Brianna was murdered on February 11, 2023, and her mother believes she was vulnerable after spending so much time online.

The goal is to change this norm, Fernyhow said, so that by the time children graduate from elementary school, the whole class will come together and say, “Let’s all delay this until at least 14 years old.” This means that all children in primary school go on to secondary school where they have a certain number of peers doing the same thing, reducing peer pressure.

“We don’t just want kids to go to middle school,” Fernyhoff said. “It’s a nightmare. No one would do that to their child.” But if 20%, 30%, even 50% of his children enroll because their parents made that decision. , they will be in a much better position.

“They can have the childhood they were meant to have, focus on learning, and enjoy the real world without having to spend their lives scrolling. We all know that’s not good for them. I know.”

Source: www.theguardian.com