Social Networking Sites May Cause the I-Generation to Become Superficial - The Answer!

Digital Revolution Side-Effects

The digital revolution has had a disappointing side-effect - young people, the i-generation, have developed a superficial appreciation of world events, news and other important formation details, through considerable use of social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. The broadening of mind and spirit is extremely challenged by the euphoria of the internet and all the engagement that happens while silently and privately seated before the computer screen!

No longer do the young keep abreast of the latest happenings in the world. Their main priority for the i-generation in down time, leisure time, is to catch up mostly on social happenings past, present and future, through their internet chat rooms and social networking sites.

The news, current affairs, documentaries and family time take a back seat, if not being totally rejected as of any importance what-so-ever. Major time is spent on the internet, with the occasional viewing of television for little more than movies or sport.

If the news is not broken through internet conversations within the limited sphere of influence of engagement of each young person, then rarely would the news and other mind expanding information occur.

Twitter Revolution Challenged

The Twitter revolution of limited information, compacted into brief snap shots of what is happening to and for an individual at a particular moment in time in that person's life, becomes almost cathartic. Even when that person reports an item of interest to the world, it requires the young to firstly be following that twitter, or receive the tweet through others who may be interested, and secondly be interested in such 'news'.

Through my experience with educating the adolescent, I would propose that the i-generation would in most cases ignore such events and get back to the social news of importance to them individually - their friends' and associates' 'news'.

The Answer!

The television stations and other media outlets need to engage the young through their major forms of communication - social networking websites. They need to promote their mind enhancing stories in ways which encourage the young to look further into what really matters in this world. However, time must be given for those i-generation networking activities. To take this away would be totally detrimental to success.

Parents need to awaken the hearts and minds of their children to go well beyond the internet's social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace and to engage in real life enhancing news, documentaries and quality family time. Many parents need to set the tone through example, which in many cases is not happening now.

The i-generation, the first generation to live totally in the i-world, need leadership and example from families, schools, government and society as a whole. If they keep growing in their current direction, our young people will be trapped in a world of simplicity and unreality, not growing to appreciate the true wonders of life and the world, not knowing what really counts and is of importance to them presently and as they mature.

Their model of operating is so limited that only the truly gifted, talented and broadminded amongst them will be able to operate in society in a successful way.

Conclusion

The present situation sees the young i-generation challenged implicitly to awaken to the real world and place their special euphoric interest in social media sites into perspective. The place of Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and other social networking sites, needs to be exemplified by responsible parents and society, so that the young i-generation appreciates the reality of both the digital and real worlds.

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