At first when I heard it on the radio it didn't hit me. But after seeing another article on Huffington Post, I fear the health and safety of CODAs is in danger! If you were unaware, there is a huge fad spreading where teens are wearing fake braces. These seemed innocent at first, but already teens have been injured due to the design and materials used in these bootleg devices. In all likelihood this will have a domino affect on the deaf community. Please warn your friends, and keep a close eye on your own children!! Do you see what I'm getting at?? Let me clarify....
It is natural for children to want to imitate their parents. At very early ages you may already notice a child copying the body language of their mom or dad. This only escalates with years, and you will recognize a teenage boy as the "spitting image of his father". With children of Deaf adults, this can often result in not only signing, but also using techniques like flashing lights, waving hands, or stomping feet to get the attention of others. In some cases the kids may even desire to attend a Deaf school, or pretend to be deaf when meeting new people. All of these tendencies are perfectly harmless, however the deaf world has made a drastic change in the past few years.
A high percentage of deaf babies are being operated on, and being implanted with listening devices known as Cochlear Implants(CI). It's not only the babies following this trend, many teenagers and adults are now rocking these devices above and behind their ears as well. This of course is creating an impact on the culture of Deaf people, the stability of schools for the deaf, and perhaps even a divide in the community. However one thing that seems to have been overlooked is the stylistic implications this could have.
I hope you can understand what this all implies. Our next generation of Deaf parents with hearing children will NEED to be twice as cautious as their hearing counterparts! Pay attention if your children begin contacting any strangers, they may be working with a cochlear implant bootlegger. Attaching a fake CI may seem at first like an honor, but these are potentially hazardous devices!! And they think faux braces are a problem....
P.S. This article contains a heavy helping of sarcasm and humour. If you are allergic please consult a family friend. *smile*
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