In an age where technology is king, most people are happily attached to their smartphones, tablets or laptops. It is a mobile, viral world out there folks. There are many positives to this, but there are some not so great considerations to contemplate, like what this does to the children growing up in this era. Best-selling author Robert Blake thinks parents should “wake the hell up.”

Robert Bakke is jet captain and aerobatic flight instructor, a black belt and regional champion, an Amazon #1 best-selling author, a race car driver, and a ski instructor. He was running a multi-million dollar company by the age of 24. Bakke then moved on to captain jet aircraft and coach people into their highest level of performance.

“Somebody has to sound the alarm, so I guess that somebody is me,” says Robert Bakke, “People everywhere are walking around and even driving their cars, unable to look up. And with each minute spent in the addiction, another dream is dying.”

Bakke has spent his life accomplishing dreams he was told couldn’t be accomplished, and says device addiction is crushing young people’s chances of ever making their dreams real. Bakke was running a multi-million dollar company by the age of 24, and then flew himself into a jet flying career. He’s earned a black belt in karate and also races NASCAR. “It takes time and hard work to succeed. Parents need to put their phones down and get to work, and teach their children to do the same,”says Bakke.

Bakke recently proved his point again by self-publishing his latest book all the way to #1 in Amazon’s Miracles & Spirituality category, and says his success is a reflection of dreams that are kept alive. “Device addiction is just the opposite,” say Bakke, “It’s a reflection of the staggering number of people who have given up…they have stopped dreaming, choosing to escape into a virtual reality.”

Bakke, who comes from a family of addiction, points to addictive behaviors and how they transfer from one addiction to another (from alcohol to gambling) and says even the professionals aren’t sounding the alarm on device addiction as many of the professionals are addicted themselves. “The fear,” says Bakke, “Is when a child’s addiction transfers from devices, what will it transfer to? Parents better wake the hell up.”

Bakke is well aware that he’s going against popular culture but remains unafraid. “I’ll do whatever it takes to save America’s families. Device addiction is crippling our children and it has to be stopped,” says Bakke.

What do you think — are you and/ or your kids addicted to your devices?