"I"zation: Ignoring the "Civil" in Civilization

There are growing concerns by many, especially among the Baby Boomer Generation about what shall become of this world a decade or more from now. The concerns are exclusive from the common issues discussed on the media on Global Warming, gas prices, alternative energy and economics. Recent social changes in our society over several years influencing many of the younger generations elevate these concerns.

We have witnessed an age when the use of drugs (whether legal or illegal and organic or designer) has helped to fashion millions of users throughout the world. Like a scene from "Night of the Living Dead", some of us remember seeing thousands of zombies walking our streets, watching these ghoulish creatures who were human beings feed off the living. Over time our society developed methods to contain these problems, but another worse issue arises and begins to loom into our view.

The technological advancement of personal computers without any doubt has revolutionized our world. Our accessibility to gather and store information and produce incredible innovations through the use of computers is a remarkable achievement. Each of us can absorb hundreds of articles, blogs, or graphics everyday on the internet. Each of us may also expend several hours playing video games on the computer, television or gaming consoles. It is these activities which alert cause for alarms for our society, more so for our children to become "self-absorbed" into these activities.

With the development of computers have also come improvements in graphic designs, thus enhancing the virtual world of gaming. While this technology incredibly improved our social skills did not improve along with them. Though considered fun many of the games played enact cruelty, viciousness, and callousness towards imaginary opponents within these games. Certainly the games are not real, but the players become desensitized to what is anti-social behavior; they are sometimes psychologically morphed into becoming the "players" and not human beings.

What is worse is many of these players are children left alone by their parents to play the games, often because their parents are "too busy doing" other things.

But consider these events… How often have we seen in the news when some kids have brutalized or even killed others in fun? How many times have we heard on the radio and/or television when someone lavished, molested, raped, or ravaged others, especially children while the assailants' friends idly stood by or walked away saying and doing nothing? How many times have we recently seen or heard of a group of youth whether boys or girls or a combination of both beat up and disfigure others so they could video the spectacle over the internet? Internet videos displaying the cruelty of people towards others have become very popular. Beating up on the poor, addicted, homeless, the physically disadvantaged, and helpless has become more prevalent.

Among the African American community for example, the position of "don"t tell' has become the way of life for many. Other ethnic communities have similar practices. In other words people will witness others being robbed, beaten, raped, and murdered and will say nothing about it to the authorities because it is what is expected. Some will actually watch their own family members lives destroyed, but will say nothing to those whom may be most capable of rendering them some form of justice.

The generations growing before us and within our society are destined to maintain our future. What will that be if they are self-absorbed, narcissistic, and insensitive. Many of them do not understand and therefore ignore what the "Civil" in Civilization means. Their focus is on the "I", thus their society may create an "I"zation.

What view these selfish individuals hold is of grave concern because as the dominant era "the Baby Boomers" dwindle in control and become the elderly what shall these newer generations impose upon our society? Shall they segregate the elderly into their own communities; shall they send them to colonize the Moon? Shall they euphonize whoever they feel useless?

But, we can not blame them for what they may have become. Our society allowed this to happen. We begot this dilemma when we pressed forward with our technology and forgot about how it would affect our children. We also ignored the values which establish a civilization. We zoomed ahead into the future with disregard for the foundations of our past. We were too busy ourselves trampling the dust made up of the bones of our ancestors, to realize there were reasons why they taught us to cherish the importance of family, spend time with our children and socialize with others. We were in a rush to build a better world, but we forgot it begins by supporting our neighbors.

We have to fix this dysfunctional state which has seeded among the younger generations before it becomes a cruel reality. Though some among them may understand what civilization is all about, we must implore as many of the others to also understand. We have to help these other generations develop social skills, to learn to become civil again.

Parents and relatives have to pull their children from enclosed rooms and spend time to talk and socialize with them. Parents should insist on time to sit at a family table to eat a meal together and talk. They also have to take their children out into the world to intermingle with others and instruct them on how to behave and respect others.

We as a society have to teach the following generations how humanity has arrived to this point of our existence because of the contributions of many and not just individuals. We must help them to understand their world exists because of those whom hoped so much for a better world for them and following generations to come whom so often sacrificed their lives. We must also admonish them there is no place for injustice and it will not be tolerated for very long. We must teach them there is no such word as "I"zation.