It seems to be a theme we come back to each issue this year, it’s highlighted by our guest opinion piece by Arlene Lewis, and it’s an issue that has become compounded in our lifetimes.
Perhaps people have always been more concerned with their own well being than important events and disasters happening in the world, but it seems electronics have made this problem much worse for us.
As an “altered generation,” our youth are addicted to electronics. Everyone grew up around them, and in a vicious cycle became more self-absorbed and less concerned about the real world. Now, we are approaching voting age, and we are frequently uninformed. In an election year, this is concerning. According to The Washington Post, a mere 36 percent of young voters actually voted in the last election.
The statistics are shocking. A poll at theguardian.com reveals that 85% of Americans are oblivious to hunger in Africa and the Middle East. And yet, according to ABC News, teens spend an average of seven hours and 22 minutes a day on their phones. That is almost a full-time job.
Young people are not encouraged to make a difference, whether it’s donating or helping, and they are led to believe they can’t make a difference. While this should bother them, their electronics are a distraction that keeps them pacified. Why worry about the world when you can check your phone instead?
This generation needs to realize that they’re the future of our world and a key part of our society. Someone, somewhere, should be placing a larger emphasis on keeping up with world issues.
Perhaps we should stop waiting for someone else to tell us what to do. Whether it’s through a newspaper, a news show, or the Internet, we need to take the initiative to be informed. Electronics themselves are not inherently bad, but the way they are being used is making us more complacent towards the problems of the world.
Today, you hold the world in your pocket, with constant access to Wi-Fi and 4G. Our question to you: how are you going to use it to change our world for the better?