Thoughts of a Young Man

The Isolation Culture

Lately, I have felt more and more that nothing exciting in life seems to happen anymore, and that I can find no topic worthy of discussion. I find this trend becoming increasingly prominent amongst people today, especially youths like us.

The usual, automatic response when asked how a person is doing would be "I'm doing ok." There is no further statement following that which expands on the specifics.

Another trend is that many youths spend most of their spare time lounging around cafes, bars or public meeting places, talking to their friends about anything and everything, except things which are deep and pierce the heart. Many youths seem to lack a moral compass, and often have only their peer group's collective opinion as a guide for appropriate behaviour. This emphasis on necessary leisure and a lack of absolutes, coupled with the fact that many youths only go home for sleep and shower is becoming increasingly common and is viewed as the norm, or even desirable.

Furthermore, families going out as a whole seems to be in decline, further widening the gap of misunderstanding between parents and children. What was an important relationship which required effort and time is no longer seen as important as our other activities.

The problem perhaps lies inherently with people themselves, who naturally find it easier to get along with people they do not live with (eg. friends) as any chances of conflicts are kept to a minimum and we only put our "best face" forward when we meet our friends.

In fact, it has now come to the point where many youths accept the fact that they have a bad relationship with their parents as totally normal or acceptable. Often reasons such as "the generation gap" or "they don't understand me" are cited and this is seen as the pinnacle of reasoning regarding the causes in such relationships. Even youths who see the contrast between the way they treat their parents and their friends and go as far as to admit there's a problem believe nothing can be done, because it is "just the way things are" or "it's the same with everyone".

But do not be content to accept things the way they are because it's the same with the majority of people or because there does not seem to be an apparent solution available.

Don't do something because it's easier, do it because it's the right thing to do.

I think as youths, we need to seriously think the worldviews we have, the people we hang out with, the sort of life we want to lead, and the kind of people we wish to become. If we do not give these things serious thought, we will go through life unfulfilled, and no amount of regret can change the past. Try not to rule out relationships just because the people involved "don't understand you". Help them to understand you. And ask them to help you understand them. It may mean giving up your leisure time to cultivate such relationships. Yet I believe the fruits of such labour will always be worth the sacrifice.