(For native English🇬🇧)
"Your child can't sit still! They can't concentrate in class and get easily distracted? At home, they talk back to you and show slight aggression?
You're convinced that your child has ADHD? But what about a ZOOZ child?
I know! I'm going to stir things up a bit and step out of the comfort zone! Indeed, it's not always easy for our brains to see the world from a different angle.
We won't discuss the typical manifestations of ADHD that you can find on Google or, even better, on Chat GPT (AI). Instead, let's talk about the unspoken truths behind ADHD.
To better understand these little discoveries, May I serve you a cup of tea ☕️?"
Given the extensive use of phones in the past two decades, the emergence of social media, and the use of YouTube by very young children, it's easy to understand the increase in ADHD among both children and adults.
Since the introduction of iPhones and iPads into our homes, memory has become more elusive, concentration has reached its minimal level, and social interaction has become more reserved. As a consequence of excessive use, our nervous system becomes depleted of energy because the brain, absorbed by the screen, remains in a state of intellectual excitement and diminishes cognitive abilities (Lancet Child and Adolescent Health).
You don't believe me? I invite you to take this little test:
The last time you were at a restaurant, were you busy looking at the new lamps that had been replaced, or were you engrossed in responding to your WhatsApp messages?
Did you even notice that there were no lamps because you were sitting outdoors??? 😜
But don't worry, artificial intelligence will soon help us appear more up to date. So, if you want a little piece of advice that won't cost you much, activate airplane mode✈️ for a few hours a day, and attention deficit will be much less of an issue! Now, it will be easy for you to understand that a curious child who finds themselves sitting in a classroom listening to a teacher mumble a poem by goodness-knows-who will find this situation incredibly boring. Since the child isn't allowed to express their opinion about this uninteresting French class, they will retreat into their own mind, attempting to telepathically communicate with Elon Musk!
Oh, our schools! How fascinating they are! How well they accommodate the temperaments of our children! In the age of AI and 3D printers, it will be challenging to continue convincing our children of the usefulness and necessity of our old-fashioned schools. Yes, they can't sit still in class! However, not needing to sit still in class doesn't necessarily mean one has ADHD; the traditional school system simply may not suit all children. Some will never fit into that mold because they are children of change. Over the past twenty years, these children have become increasingly numerous, and some adults have already set themselves apart. They may be dismissed as dreamers, but it's quite the opposite!
To distinguish these children and adults and allow them to thrive, I call them:
THE ZOOZ CHILDREN 🚀 (Zooz means "to move" in Hebrew)
They are the children of change, those who want to revolutionize the world, develop AI, bring back the dead, 3D-print body parts, cure cancer, and replace work with robots. They dream of a world of justice and truth based on real values and are determined to work towards it because time is running out. Naturally, in school, they disrupt the norm with their differences. They struggle to pay attention due to lack of interest, don't blindly obey authority, and become frustrated by injustice. They have countless ideas and no time to waste sitting in a chair, listening to a teacher when their minds are brimming with thoughts. They refuse to conform to the mold of being just like everyone else. They often find solace in art as a way to express their deep souls. Since the current educational system offers no alternative or different pedagogical approach, children are stressed, and parents feel helpless. Calming them down with medication or therapy sessions is merely a self-serving act, aiming to make them fit into a norm imposed by goodness-knows-who. It's a way of staying in a limited world and refusing the urgency of the necessary change in the world.
While we wait for a government with common sense and concern for the well-being of others to implement real change, here are some tips for you:
☘️ Consider horseback riding, which improves concentration and attention span.
☘️ Swimming enhances memory and cognitive function.
☘️ Finally, there's nothing like a good walk in the forest, phone turned off, following the example of our Scandinavian friends, to regain health, relaxation, and focus.
☘️ Chess games can develop analysis, observation, mathematical skills, and planning abilities.
☘️ Homeschooling can be an excellent alternative if it is allowed by the legislation in your country and if you have the psychological strength for it.
☘️ Observing the Shabbat allows for complete disconnection since the use of phones is prohibited. The Torah instructs us to disconnect from the material world for 26 hours once a week to reconnect with its creator and reflect on the essence of the world. The Shabbat will soon be a study unanimously approved by all scientists 😉.
☘️ The study of Chassidut Chabad brings vitality to the body and soul by affecting the intellect and calming the emotions, thereby influencing the entire personality. It is a hidden wisdom that delves into the depths of understanding all aspects of life.
Still skeptical about your ZOOZ child?
Here is a list of some ZOOZ children that might make you smile:
Winston Churchill - Francois Pinault - Thomas Edison - Gillian Lynn - Nicolas Sarkozy - Christian Estrosi - Walt Disney - Steven Spielberg - Jack Ma - Elton John - Mark Zuckerberg - Steve Jobs - Princess Diana - Xavier Niel - Gerard Depardieu...
And perhaps tomorrow... your child will be among them.
הסתכל באורייתא וברא עלמא ...
