Once upon a time punishment dished out by parents could attract the attention of those within crying distance.
Now with social media, parents looking to make an example out of their kids can do it to a potential audience of millions.
Well, I suppose it’s the only way they’ll learn, it still seems incredibly harsh though.
Tre Cosby got fed up with his son playing on his PlayStation 4 after being told not to for getting bad grades at school. What was about to happen the kid will never forget, not because of the trauma but because his dad uploaded it to YouTube.
Tre sets the scene:
Hey world, once again, these kids and these electronics, and they don’t wanna act right, so guess what?
My youngest is gonna get his PlayStation demolished.
Looking for his kid, he explains:
So, you was on – you was watching YouTube videos again this morning on PlayStation?
What did I tell you next time was gonna happen?
Did I tell you your PlayStation was gonna get it?
But then Tre throws the curveball:
Come on. I’m not gonna tear it up, you gonna tear your own shit up.
Talk to the camera, tell them how you don’t listen.
The dad walks his son out to the front drive and he exclaims ‘I don’t wanna hear it!’ as the youngster starts sobbing.
Tre puts the console on the floor wrapped up in plastic bags, ‘Beat it up!’
The kid starts whacking it with a stick. ‘Beat it, harder! Beat that thing up!’ Tre shouts.
The dad picks up a boulder and drops it on the console. He then tries to pass the boulder to his son, who isn’t strong enough to hold it and drops down on to the PlayStation again.
Sticks? Stones? That’s child’s play, isn’t it. Cosby gets into his car and reverses over the games system.
I mean yeah, there’s a bit of a cut where they go from the lounge out to the driveway, so maybe they pulled the old switch-a-roo. Who do you think I am, the Hollywood Reporter?
But still whether or not this was an exercise in discipline, or a shared father/son vlogging experience, I’m sure the kid has learnt some kind of lesson.
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Tim Horner is a sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated with a BA Journalism from University College Falmouth before most his colleagues were born. A previous editor of adult mags, he now enjoys bringing the tone down in the viral news sector.