This is one of those parables where the author seems to think that the moral is a blindingly obvious earth-shattering revelation and where a large fraction of readers just respond "okay, and?"<p>It's sort of implied that the earring, or the use of it is inherently and irredeemably Bad in some way. It's a moral anathema, to terrible to write plainly or even think about!<p>Don't let the magic earring do your thinking for you, let this author tell you how to feel instead. No, no don't analyze why the earring is bad, just trust me. It's capital-b Bad.<p>Also this appears to have been written in 2012. It has nothing to do with modern AI (which I assume is why it was posted today). It was probably a commentary on the rising prevalence of smartphones and social media.