When I was a young adult, the malady of that era was called often, “An Age of Anxiety,” something that resulted from the post-modern age that followed World War 2. As the second half of the 20th Century unfolded, sociologists used this term to describe the feelings of uncertainty and disillusionment that seemed to define those decades, years marked by demonstrations on university and college campuses throughout the United States. The music of Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell filled the airways with lyrics people under 30 related to best. As social mores became fluid, many found such liquidity as troubling as the pursuit of solid ground on water. As society’s institutions seemed to stand on everything in general and nothing in particular, daily life became difficult to navigate. In the words of Bob Dylan, “the answer,” was indeed, “blowin’ in the wind”. I was mesmerized by Joni Mitchell’s plaintive soprano that belted out, “I’ve looked at life from both sides now/from win and lose and still somehow/it’s life illusions I recall/I really don’t know life at all…”. Nevertheless, I (and my contemporaries), wanted to know the answers to life’s questions. Our spokespeople did not help in this quest.
When I teach Christian apologetics, students show high interest in the questions of origin, purpose and destiny. Particularly now during these uncertain, polarized days of the third decade of the 21st century, people engage in circular reasoning as they grapple with their unanswered questions. AI technology confuses the issue further as the nature of reality is called into question. Still, when confronted with these issues (origin, purpose, and destiny), students are interested and responsive. Why are there so few opportunities for our young to pose questions, to interact with the life around them?
There has been an exponential rise in suicide rates among teenagers between 2007 and 2021. This tragic development is blamed often on the alienation so many feel because of technology. One to one dialogue has decreased. I recall an afternoon 12 years ago. I was having coffee in a favorite café and was enjoying the late autumn afternoon, while writing in my journal. In my frame of vision were two teenage girls facing each other. I was struck by their lack of conversation as each was focused on their cell phones. (A little disclaimer here: I too spend time on my IPhone. Happily, however, I put the thing down and engage in regular dialogue.) Because I was not raised on technology, I know to do that. These young people know nothing else. What kind of society encourages people to tune out of the world around them only to tune into a small hand-held computer? Yet, we wonder why depression, augmented by ennui have taken hold of more than one generation of people today!
During the Covid years, working from one’s home became an option many embraced readily. Sadly, the trend has taken hold. I use the word, “sadly,” because the trend has caused what I suspect are unexpected results. On the one hand, the convenience of home and hearth has improved production, but on the other, a lack of socialization has resulted. People can remain in their sweats all day. In fact, those who live alone have achieved total autonomy for any number of days. Many working adults subscribe to meal plans that remove the stress of going to neighborhood supermarkets. I sometimes refer to them as the new “shut-ins,” an unfortunate phrase used in the past to designate the infirm and elderly who depended on “Meals on Wheels”. When I came across an ad that promoted the use of the many meal plans available through various companies, I read comments about the removal of stress. I didn’t realize stress accompanied a trip to the store followed by dinner prep.
When did life become so overwhelming that people stay home and do everything from working, to shopping, banking, and streaming? A new societal group of “shut-ins” incorporates a totally different demographic today, in many cases people no longer emotionally connected enough to engage with others. What are the implications for compassion and empathy?
