That staunch old guy who thinks the youth is falling apart because of video games? That grouchy neighbor who routinely preaches about the fall of civilization due to electronics? It is I, back for another round. In typical hypocritical fashion, I’m writing this article from a well-worn Samsung before I lament all that is.
Many people today, especially the younger demographic, are completely addicted to their cell phones. While it’s still a tool that can be used for both good and bad, we seem to have chosen to use it for ever-increasing mindless entertainment. As adults, most of us can at least discern between make-believe and real life. Children, for the most part, cannot, and they’re being led down a path lacking focus, critical thinking, logic, and real social interaction.
The kids I interact with have attention spans like fruit flies, catered to, and created by, an endless stream of brief nonsense clips spoon-fed as “content.” They struggle to have meaningful, focused conversations, bouncing from subject to subject as they emulate what they watch. Reading has been dumbed down to match the frenzied nature of social-media stars. Even movies can’t hold their attention without the need to multitask on a phone for frantic, choppy media bites.
As we drift deeper into years of TikTok-style content merged with AI and targeted marketing, kids are failing to separate real life from social media. Fishing trips are “boring” compared to the stylized online version, where world-record fish are caught every 21 seconds to the backdrop of a trap beat. Relationships are modeled after “players” and ego-driven personalities chasing 15 minutes of fame at any cost. Fake content and fake friends have replaced real buddies, building sketchy wooden bike ramps in the backyard.
Attention spans are shot, and instead of addressing the root of the problem, we’re content to treat only the symptoms. We tailor the world to be more digestible for those who have lowered the grading curve when it comes to staying on task. I understand not everyone is zoning in on a thousand-page book on the historical aspects of Western exploration for sheer entertainment. A documentary might feel like heavy lifting for some. But having a meaningful conversation over a slow meal without electronics shouldn’t be a chore.
As with most things, I’m concerned not only with where we stand now, but where we’re headed. I see the issues in my own circle and in others. Some have tried to explain it away, saying younger people simply process information quicker and therefore everything is fine. No amount of explaining can detract from the fact that real-world results say otherwise. Social skills have degraded, staying on task is now an advanced skill in itself, multitasking isn’t a strength but a nervous fidget, and anything that doesn’t provide instant gratification is labeled boring.
As a progressing people, we must adapt to the future, but not forget what kept humanity connected for centuries.
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