Summer's coming and with the warm weather comes vacations, picnics, and mosquitoes. Although it is not quite summer yet, a British store recently gained attention because of a Mosquito. But this store does not have an insect problem, they have been using a device called a 'Mosquito' to fix what they consider a large problem: teenagers.

The Spar Shop in Britain had a machine outside of their store that released a high-pitched irritating noise audible almost entirely to people under 20 years old and inaudible to people over 30: this store had a Teen Repellent. Yes, they really did drive younger people away from their store by using a high-pitched noise: think dog whistle on steroids.

To be perfectly honest, this is one of the most bizarre things I have heard in a long time. The fact this machine exists shocks me, and the fact it works shocks me more. When the storekeeper of the Spar Shop saw teens gathering outside the store, they would turn on the machine and eventually the youths would actually leave. In fact, the device seemed to work so well that the store cited increased sales, since they no longer were pestered by what they called 'gangs' forming outside their door.

This story has made it in the headlines this week because it has been mandated to be shut off permanently because some claim that it violates some sort of human rights.

Claiming there is a human rights violation is in my opinion a little extreme. However, I think it is not an ethical device. Think about it, I have something similar in my back yard to repel pesky gophers, not children, and I do not entirely understand the justification for debasing teenagers to near-gopher-status. What next? A buzzing noise that keeps the elderly away from the DMV? That even seems a little more necessary, just as absurd, and obviously will never happen.

Much to my dismay, the Spar Shop received positive comments about the device and note how some people have told them they are now thinking of purchasing the Mosquito and simultaneously the Spar Shop is upset that their machine is out of order, but looking at this whole situation, isn't there a bigger problem at hand? Why does the store have gangs of teens outside of it anyway? Shouldn't the authorities of Newport get to the root of the problem and find out why kids congregate there in such large numbers and find a solution to the problem so no unethical device is needed?

I would think the fact there are gangs of kids shows that the city of Newport, the citizens and businesses, have bigger fish to fry and should not bicker about an unusual machine.

Even though Dayton's an ocean away, I think there are some general trends in the world that apply everywhere and the Spar Shop would not be in the situation if they followed one of these trends: if it sounds like a ridiculous idea, it probably is, and someone will have a problem with it. I think, at some point, someone from the store must have thought it was a bizarre idea, and that should have been the red flag.

In this case, let's just say treating kids like gophers sounds a little absurd and is thus a horrible idea.