Oh, the internet. When used for the forces of good, it has brought us closer together by allowing us to converse with people literally half way around the world. But then there are the times it is used for the forces of evil.
For some reason some parents feel like the internet is a great place to post video of themselves “disciplining” their children. I can’t even stomach these videos. When I see them being shared by others I do not click through. In my opinion, it is bullying and not discipline. It is well-known the frontal lobes (area of the brain responsible for executive function, or coordinated planning and decision making) are not fully developed until the early 20s. Why some parents feel that putting a child’s mistakes on blast for the whole world to see is beyond me. I’m pretty sure those same parents would never want for their past childhood mistakes to go viral for everyone to see, garnering thousands upon thousands of likes. This article provides a great discussion of parental use of the internet to shame their children.
Please remember, our job as parents is to protect, educate, and love our children. Not to humiliate them.