News.com ran an article today on a disturbing new iPhone app that allows you to shake a crying virtual baby to death. (Read the full article here: Apple Approves 'Baby Shaker' For App Store.)
As I mentioned back in my post on our first three months with a newborn -- there are some days when your colicky new baby will just drive you batty. The solution to being overwhelmed, which I employed often, is to put the baby down in a safe place and walk away (as long as the baby is crying but okay). Go somewhere quiet for five minutes, just long enough to catch your breath and be able to approach the situation rationally.
This absolutely sickens me. While I honestly do not believe that violent video games beget violence (in fact, when I was working on my minor in psychology I did a research paper on how the opposite is usually true), trivializing something so serious as shaken baby syndrome is not entertainment. Will it promote shaken baby syndrome? Probably not. Maybe it's because I'm a parent of a little one who is still a baby, but I fail to see any humor or entertainment value in this.
Now excuse me while I go hug my baby and try to forget I ever saw this.
Feel free to post a comment and share your thoughts on this.
[Edit] Apple has now removed this app from their store.
1 comment:
That's terrible.
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