Ms. Aishah Kotecha
MD and Principal, Wisdom International School, Jamshedpur
In this cyborg 21st century age, the world has become too dynamic, complex, diversified and has affected our thoughts, behaviour and communication. Along with material progress, many new perspectives and priorities have emerged for everyone, the youth in particular who find it difficult to resist the temptation of the internet culture – the cyberculture, which is also sometimes termed as anti-culture.
This new flourishing computer technology and the internet have expanded the physical boundaries of the home environment into the unlimited horizons of cyberspace, where a lot of time is wasted for entertainment and socialisation purposes. The newborn upcoming generation was thus exposed to the new avenues, with no control and without any guiding principles. Thus, Chaos began in this domain, which has its own unique culture. Some of the problems that the generation Z is facing are:
- Exposure to undesirable elements
The themselves trapped parents are not able to be models of wise decisions and a better lifestyle. They have lost parental authority and are not easily accessible nor are they tolerant or helpful in dealing with their problems. Eventually, the children go around to other harmful sources for seeking answers and to fulfill their needs. The result is exposure to false information, distorted arguments and hostile people sometimes. - Social and emotional needs
The cyberculture has closed doors to any healthy channel of communication between parents and children. Now, the only way to show affection and feelings of tenderness seems to be by gifting them with modern gadgets and internet access. - Negative vacuum
There is an entry of controversial materials into our homes that are written by people with no methodology of scientific precision in research. The educator’s role is eliminated and with it the forming of right attitudes and morals, thus leaving a negative vacuum in cyberspace.
- The darknet
The intensive use of the internet has also diluted accountability and isolated us in the laps of negative influences of the darknet.
- More banes than boons
The easily accessible sites promoting hatred bigotry, violence, drugs, lewd images foster hate crimes, teach to make destructive weapons, give tips on how to commit suicide, sometimes though only implicitly.
- The price of social isolation
The implications of social isolation due to covid-19 pandemic for the intensive use of the internet and its consequences is yet another topic that needs reflection. The risk of exposure of personal data on apps like Sulli, life-threatening games like pubg, cyberbullies, addiction to pornography, and to social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are far too many for the poor young shows to bear.
At an age, where they must be provided with a rich and warm soil bed in the form of a healthy family environment, the youth today are trying hard to make sense of this fast in changing world filled with anxiety, confusion and chaos.
