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This is a post that may meander into something I don’t quite know yet, but bear with me, because in my head as I type it is a bit tangled up, so by writing it, I will hopefully clarify what I mean.
Let’s start with the current generation and how it has progressed from there, especially 2018 and the early part of 2019. I am becoming more and more alarmed by the direction the world is taking, and it makes me think what my children are going to be growing up in. And not only that, it is going to make me become a Dad that probably my dad never dreamed I would have to be.
You see, growing up (and yes I am only 31, not 51) I formed my own beliefs and opinions about certain things in the world, and I stand by them, not ignorantly or violently, but with structured debate and understanding for the other viewpoint. My parents taught me respect and manners from a young age, the basic please and thank you, courteousness for your elders and so on.
But the more I look around, the more I see that the world has completely gone to s**t, and its not solely because of the millenials or the snow flake generation, but they don’t help things.
Take for example 2018, it will be the year that will be remembered as the year everyone was offended by EVERYTHING, and to back this point up, look for the lady on google that complained to Kleenex because their tissues are called Mansize. For crying out loud, people have nothing better to do than whinge and complain about something that means absolutely nothing to anyone.
The problem is, that with any big debate in the world, if you don’t agree with the mass opinion then it resorts to name calling, foul language and general abuse, and it is horrendous. Now don’t get me wrong, but if I don’t agree with someone else, you have a chat or debate, and if you still don’t see eye to eye, then you accept it and move on and everyone is grand about it.
But here lies the fuel in this fire, SOCIAL MEDIA. The absolute scourge of society and the demise of civilisation. We are all well aware about how good social media can do, it brings loved ones together, it helps solve crimes, feeds and homes people, connects people and it is a wealth of knowledge at our finger tips. But there is the flip side to this. The viral side to social media, where people can start a campaign and basically bully others who have a differing opinion is scarily powerful. It gets shared millions of times and seems to be in your face for hours and days at a time!
What annoys me more is that social media gives fame and the spotlight on mediocre people, and for the life of me I cant see why? I refer to the Kardashian people as an example. Now I know very little about them, and my wife watches their programs, but from what I see, one of them is famous for a leaked sex tape, who then married Kanye West, the father won woman of the year because he is now transgender, and one of them even had a gofundme page set up to help her get to $1billion dollars or something like that?
But when I seen a picture of before they were famous I was shocked. They looked entirely different. The fame and fortune changed them.
But going back to the social media element, they had a huge row with someone close to them because a cheating partner kissed a friend of theirs, and the Kardashians set out on Twitter to vilify this girl, but it backfired and they were forced to issue an apology. There is the two sides of the coin with regards to that issue!
We all know a subject that we can relate that too, whether it is abortion, war, politics, sectarianism or what have you. There is no responsibility with it, consequences that are ignored and no one seems to care. It gives people a voice that probably shouldn’t have that platform to say anything at all.
But what can I do about this? Well I have to educate my children from a young age to understand and not get sucked into the virtual world, it isn’t real! Too many people live their lives through Instagram pictures and Snapchat Filters and that isn’t reality. My children will know that there is more to life than that fakeness. They dont need to have a filter or made up perosnality to be accepted by people, they will be themselves and I will teach them to be comfortable with themselves!
But whats more, I will raise my children to have manners and respect for people who don’t agree with their beliefs or opinions and they will be raised to respect others as well. I want them to have a platform to share the positives and not the negative stuff we see so much off online. But in reality I can’t avoid that when the world is so rapidly moving to such a digital lifestyle, for crying out loud even a fridge nowadays can tell you when you running low on milk, and your phone can control your car!
I want my children to respectful of all and offended by nothing rather than offended by everything.
I want them to have a level conscience and clear mind to make decisions and statements in their lives and not be sucked into what the online masses demand they say, do or think. I won’t let them give up their liberty, and why you may ask? Well because I will instil those values, and make sure they learnt the manners, respect and consequences of their actions from a young age!
But maybe I'm just getting old and everything is passing me by? So I hope that made sense to some of you reading this, it has to me a little bit!
Hopefully I dont turn into my dad asking my children how to turn on the latest smartphone or app or whatever it will be in the future!
Leave your thoughts in the comments!