It used to be that children were given a key to the door when they reached 21 years of age. The giving of this key signified adulthood and independence. Today, though, we do not wait so long and we give a key to be used from the inside, without needing to even open a door.
Nowadays, after living on the earth for only 10 short years, having mastered little more than walking, eating and toileting, children in the UK are presented with something they call a “phone”, but which, in reality, is a key to pleasure island: that "happy land of carefree boys where every day’s a holiday”, as depicted in the Pinocchio story.
And just as in Pinocchio, where Honest John’s promises of endless fun without rules is a trap, so too are the subtle promises which accompany this latter-day key.
