I asked this question to myself when I saw a stat concerning communication among our youth. It is no big secret that social media is a phenomenon among the young in our society. However, my internals immediately connected many other aspects to the question: mass shootings, increase in gender confusion, fraud by CEOs in corporate workplace, the Fed pushing bonds to negative yields, immigration, people like Jeffery Epstein and the proliferation of pedophiles amongst us and does anyone speak the truth?
If I really contemplated, the questions alone would be too long for this piece nevermind the answers and the intent of the original question. What to do?
Four Signs
I am not qualified to analysis these terrible outcomes in society. I did not become a professional student in the school system to achieve a PhD. in psyche and then, offer advice when that person lacks real integrated social experience. I do have that. I offer this to you for you to share with someone who might display one or more of these signs. One cure is interaction with other humans who care enough to offer help. The Beatles had it right, "Love, love, ...all you need is love..."
a) Mental illness: This is hard to classify, but outbursts beyond a normal setting is a clear sign that this person has some built in problems that are mustering below the surface.
b) Substance abuse: People think that they are so special that taking only one pill, two beers, two shots, whatever won't effect them. This is you being blind to self. If you find yourself needing and taking more than two of anything, including a joint, that is substance abuse! It leads to decay in your body, mind and soul. Get some help!
c) Excess stress: Everyone has problems. You cannot let it consume you to boil over into rage. Sadly, we all feel this anger while driving. You stop at the light. The light changes to green, but the guy in front of you does not move. You beep your horn. He gets out and comes angrily toward you. You need to do or say something to dissolve the situation before it escalates and the both of you are on the 6:00 o'clock news. Give him a way out like, "Sorry, I thought that you dozed off." Maybe the person is wearing a Yankee hat, play off it, "My bad. I thought you were a Red Sox." Just keep reminding yourself that all things pass. The car will move, eventually. There are other situations, but you need to find a new environment, if possible.
Other choices is try to find new friends. They may help you with new employment. Find an outlet to focus your time and maybe lead to a new beginning, a new you. There are countless tales of people working alone or with people of similar interests in garages to escape there old life and form a new one. Don't fall for the trap of an escape through a bottle or pill.
d) No way out: If every time you think of a resolution and you come back to, "No way out!" You are doing what Einstein called, "Insanity. Doing the same think over and over and seeking a different outcome." Get out of your comfort zone. Seek new venues. Try something different. Go to another part of town. Have an epiphany like George Costanza on Seinfeld, "If everything that I think to do was wrong, then the opposite would be right." Try the opposite.
Epidemic of loneliness
I hate to think to much on such a sad topic, but I believe emptiness is a root cause in mass shootings. People, find a release, develop yourself, grow some love. It is not in texting. Go out and see your friends and social buddies, face-to-face. Man is a social animal. If our young people (ages 13-17) continue in their path, society will fall apart. Consider these results from this questions, "How do couples meet?" Keep in mind that today kids use gadgets like the I-phone and tablet to connect with each other. This is the change. Compare the recent trend from just 1995 to 2017 with interaction. 1995 2017
*Online 2% 39%
*In a bar/restaurant 19% 27%
*Though friends 33% 20%
*Through neighbors 8% 3%
*Through work 19% 11% *Through family 15% 7%
*Through school(up to grade 16) 10% 5%
*From grade 16 and on 9% 4%
*Through church 8% 3%
Do you see the problem? The young today generally meet online. We already know that something is wrong within our society with the boomer generation onward. Divorce has wrecked around 50% of marriages, but real meeting as opposed to online is a much stronger connection. The loneliness of people in society is only allowing someone to make a buck with match sites. Dear Reader, I wish the best and there will be many online couples who will be happily ever after, but bye and large, they will fail. E-Harmony says that in the future 70% of us will meet online. I rather be blinded by the girl in the front row, across from me on the bus, sitting at the bar or splashing on the beach, but, hey, that is just me. All the best 'cause Love is the answer.
