Today, children are more knowledgeable than any generation in history. Even so, there are many things in the adult world children do not understand. It is important for children to understand addiction and mind control at an early age.
Gambling is an addictive form of entertainment — gambling is putting hard earned money at risk.
Even though gambling revenue in 2012 was $34 billion plus casino operators and politicians can no longer wait for gamblers to visit the casino — they are in the process of putting gambling on every computer and cell phone in the country. Every child in the country will have gambling at their fingertips.
It’s time for adults to teach children about mind control and gambling addiction at an early age. If children understand debits, credits and balancing the books they will grow into adult hood with a secure financial future.
Protect the children from teenage gambling addiction.
Theresa A. Mataga
Las Vegas
truth posted at 2:11 pm on Wed, Mar 20, 2013.
Corporate profits are soaring and companies have piled up a record $1.4 trillion in available cash. The New York Times this past week called it "a golden age" for corporate profits. Since 2008, corporate earnings have risen 20 percent a year while worker salaries have been flat. Even when companies expand, they don't hire new workers. For example, United Technologies has raised its annual revenues by $15 billion since 2005 but cut 4000 workers last year and will cut 3,000 more this year.
According to Dr. Jack Rasmus, in 1979 the American worker's average hourly wage was equal to $15.91 (adjusted for inflation in 2001 dollars) and by 1989 it had reached only $16.63 an hour. That's a gain of only 7 cents a year for the entire Reagan decade.
truth posted at 2:12 pm on Wed, Mar 20, 2013.
And as bad as that was, the situation was worse for workers who had no college degree and that's 72.1 percent of the workforce. For them their average real hourly wages were less at the end of 2000 than they were in 1979. And since 2000 their wages have continued to slide even further.
On the other hand, the direct compensation of CEO's from 1989 to 2000 increased by 342 percent. Put in real terms, the median pay for an American CEO was $2,439,000 in 1989, $10, 775,000 by 2000 and much higher than that today, accelerating at a pace never seen before in American business. In 1965, a CEO's pay was 26 times that of their average worker, in 1980 it was 40 times, in 1990 it was 72 times, in 2000 it was 310 times and today, according to the accounting firm Towers Perrin, it has reached 500 times.
sockratties posted at 7:47 am on Thu, Mar 21, 2013.
Isn't this another case of enforcing existing laws? As far as kids gambling away hard earned money, there is a responsible adult somewhere who should be overseeing the actions of their child and security of earnings. That is if they can be pulled away from their electronic devices long enough for a conversation.
Teaching children the value of a dollar and peril of addictions of any kind should definitely fall into the venue of family. Unfortunately both good and bad lessons are handed down through generations. Children of alcoholics are often drunks, drug users spawn drug addicts, children of abusive parents tend to abuse their children and gamblers have gambling children. Interdiction seems to be the only way to break these chains and usually it is triggered too late.
sockratties posted at 7:48 am on Thu, Mar 21, 2013.
truth... did you post to the wrong letter again? Where's the relevance?
Bluepoet posted at 8:44 am on Thu, Mar 21, 2013.
Interesting use of the term, "mind control", Theresa, but I will agree about gambling and addicition. Gambling is already on computers and cell phones--I don't know if politicians are responsible for that--maybe the ones in Nevada. I do think they are, in general, complicit in it's accessibility.
I think the laws having to do with minors should cover this, although there is a technology element that may make the laws worth reviewing, for relevance...
chatmandu002 posted at 12:17 pm on Thu, Mar 21, 2013.
Mind control? Don't think the kids need mind control. How about giving them some guidance and facts.
1. Illegal drugs, lying, cheating, stealing, killing are BAD.
2. Protect yourself when having sex.
3. You are responsible for your own actions.
4. If it's to good to be true, then it probably isn't good at all.
5. Be good to your family and friends.
6. When in doubt, don't.
Everyone please add to my list of advice and facts.
Ateam1 posted at 7:00 pm on Thu, Mar 21, 2013.
sockratties: I totally agree with you on this one. You are right. It starts at home but unfortunately it ends in a very bad way. Parent's are supposed to be the Role Model. Good Day.
VofReason posted at 1:45 pm on Fri, Mar 22, 2013.
Think we need to step back here. Question 1, why do children need cell phones? Strange that whole generations of humans actually became fully functioning adults without them. Question 2, how do children gamble unless given or working for money? My sense is, either way, your kid is going to come to the big lesson very quickly that gambling is a net loss and rarely a net gain. How many kids will fritter away an allowance or their entire meager paycheck from a kid level job over and over without learning a valuable lesson?
VofReason posted at 1:51 pm on Fri, Mar 22, 2013.
I will also question the major premise here "Today, children are more knowledgeable than any generation in history". Really? While they have access to more knowledge then prior generations due to the internet, the fact is they know less about history and are "entertained" by the most simple and assinine media channels. This is why most are seen staring into cellphones in public places despite being surrounded by other humans. This is why movies and even TV have the most fowl language and bathroom humor. With that Mrs Mataga, I would say, don't confuse access for intelligence.
sockratties posted at 8:22 am on Sat, Mar 23, 2013.
VoR… Q1) Whole generations of humans became fully functioning adults without writing utensils too. Cell phones are here to stay along with all the other hi-tech devices we now have to contend with. It’s going to take society and culture some time to catch up, if ever. Q2) I don’t think children are any more capable of learning the pitfalls of gambling than adults. It’s not kids that are paying for the bright lights and cheesy glitz of Los Vegas. Gambling can be an entertainment or an addiction. Imagine all the welfare money that’s spent on lottery tickets every month. Children see, children do!
And children are exposed to more information than ever before but it’s delivered with far less supervision and explanation. I am in contact with young people on almost a daily basis and find them to have greater knowledge yet less understanding about even the most mundane things. They also have the attention span of a gnat. They are no better or worse than we were. They have similar desires and aspirations, but they face very different challenges and need all the help they can get.
VofReason posted at 12:53 pm on Tue, Mar 26, 2013.
Sock- agreed. Let me redirect. Kids cannot usually buy a cell phone without their parents financial backing or approval for a contract. Hense, it is fully in the parent's decision as to whether a child gets a cell phone or not. You would agree that many children at all ages have them and are not fully ready for the responsibility- no? I don't disagree that they can be a valuable tool, but certainly not an etitlement, for a child or adult.