A British think-tank has sounded a warning about a generation of “screen kids” who are being raised by “electronic babysitters.” The report also warns that these children, largely parented by digital devices, are spending more and more time in their bedrooms — alone with their electronic entertainments.

Why are we so fascinated with beasts that can kill us? What is our fascination with all things wild and wonderful? The reality is that we share this earth with animals that will bite us, strike us, suffocate us, kill us, and even eat us. What are we to make of this?

Welcome to summer 2007 and the latest diagnosis of a problem among the younger set — “nature-deficit disorder.” A generation of children is growing up without much contact with nature, or the outdoor world in general.

What happens when boys grow up without the influence of male authority? Stewart Dakers warns that the absence of engaged males in authority — fathers in particular — leads to brutal, crude, dangerous, and narcissistic teenage boys and young men.

A spate of murdered babies has shocked Germany in recent weeks. The Times [London] reports that at least 23 babies have been killed this year, “many of them beaten to death or strangled by their mothers before being dumped on wasteland and in dustbins.” German officials believe the total number of babies killed this year to be even higher than what has been reported.

The Press-Enterprise of Riverside, California is out with a big news flash — dads matter in the lives of their children. Sandra Stokley reports on the formation of “DADS,” a group dedicated to encouraging men to be more involved in the lives of their children.