I still wonder what to call our new generation. Is it “Selfie generation” or “Selfish generation?” My mind wavers between those two terms. What is the most ideal one? You will decide for sure.
Let me tell you what I witnessed on the Vesak full moon Poya day. Young boys and girls were seen taking selfies and couple photos at temples in an unbecoming fashion. Surprisingly, even the adults pretended not to have seen their absurd behaviour at religious places. How to get our young generation back on the right track? Is my question. It is the question which I asked myself. To be frank, there are certain moments in our lives that we love to remember until our last breath. There are stories embedded in certain photos. This is why we fill our albums with memories. But, what is pathetic is their uncivilized behaviour.
My thoughts go down the memory lane. Not to distant history but very recent history, when there occurred a road accident, people did not think twice to minister to the injured. Today what comes out first is the smart mobile phone not the helping hands.
For example, a short video clip of a young girl being raped by a gang of boys in broad daylight was shared on social media platforms. Only a stray dog was seen barking and howling in the video clip. Honestly, had the stray dog understood the human language, he would have prevented that tragic incident. This is what I felt.
On seeing the video clip I was at a loss to understand how humans became stony-hearted and merciless. Anyone with a conscience may feel sympathy for the girl and take action to save her life. Unfortunately, there was no saviour on her side except for a stray dog.
Where does the fault lie?
The advancement of new technology is not the reason. It is our attitudes and selfish mindset. This is a multifaceted issue. On one hand, we cannot discard new technology in this digital era. If so, we will be cast out of the job market where new technology reigns supreme. Mobile phones have enabled people to access the source of information with one simple click. Students and researchers are the ones who benefit from the new technology in various manners.
There are free offline apps available on Playstore for language learners such as Akebi (Japanese dictionary) , Pleco (Chinese dictionary) and so on. In addition, there are common apps that make your life easier such as Google map, WhatsApp, bookstores, etc.
Certainly, it has become impossible to survive in this competitive world without the new technology. Indeed, needless to emphasise the usefulness of smartphones from this viewpoint. Then, what is the solution? The best solution is to introspect about ourselves. We are not devices that function when plugged in, but humans who have the instincts to think and work.