The internet was invented by people with minimal social skills (the incidence of Asperger's syndrome and autism in Silicon Valley says it all). People like us with a pretty well developed social intelligence like it because it allows us to "communicate" without the messy business of having to negotiate proximity and body language. We don't have to deal with the consequences of what we say because the internet appears splendidly anonymous. (It really isn't - ask any law enforcement agency.)

But it isn't real.

Our young people have grown up thinking this is real social discourse and interaction. They have been sadly misled and are doomed to lead their lives blinded by a snowstorm of inconsequential drivel. (I challenge you to spend ten minutes browsing Twitter.) Families, friends and human interaction in real time in the real world is becoming increasingly rare because we are losing the fundamental skills to engage with this interaction.

If you want a good extrapolation of where this leads, read Jeffrey Deaver's 'Roadside Crosses'. Even if you miss the point it's a riveting yarn. Oh - and it's low tech. You can lend the book to someone else - even discuss it with them! In person! How novel!

Only half truth at best i am afraid. The disassociation the author is speaking to applies to everybody, not just the young.

Modern western societies all over the world have been preaching "individualism" to everybody & training us with "mass media" to be unable to "get along" with each other. Femanism is the ultimate form of this disunity evil.

"United we stand, divided we fall, & if our backs should ever be against the wall, we'll be together, together, you & i"

"you know when you're getting old when the police getting younger and teacher prettier".
How come mine were all like the crone in Hansel and Gretal? All stooped and with gross facial warts. They had rulers, I was sure, got bigger as they swooped to punish me with. We swore those rulers doubled as brooms at night as they flew off in search of children. The only time they were known to smile was just before they sank their fangs and feasted on the children's blood.

Kirsten, I agree with your diagnosis as far as it goes. I would suggest the rot set in some time back once the parents became addicted to the consumerism. As the *wants* increased, economics made our value judgments more for us. It shouldn't therefore surprise us
that entertainment should take on the same escalating instant gratification. And according to psychological research 60% of what a child learns is from his environment in the formative years home.

If Mum and Dad are increasingly involved in themselves and less extended family influenced they why should we be surprised that the current are an accelerating reflection of this?

In short its a Frankenstein monster of our own making.

I have little hope that a meaningful solution can be administered after or outside the home. In short the change must come from fundamental changes *within* the home.

With all the will in the world it is unreasonable to expect public services (including teachers) to pick up the dropped ball.

As an ex crisis intervention counselor I have watched with dismay the continual diminishing interest in personal responsibility within families and communities.

In truth technology rarely solves human problems merely moves it. A bit like the myth that military technology will make the world safer or resolve human conflict.
Man ability has evolved technologically but genetically it's still in the trees.

Modern consumer society is not really interested in humankind maintaining close-knit communal structures. The accent these days is on one huge homogeneous identity - all the better to market to.
It's actually interesting to watch as modern man continuously chips away at urban neighbourhood identity - consistently centralizing services and shopping precincts, drawing them away from the intimacy of local neighbourhoods.
Young people, particulary, find freedom in the independence of texting and chatting online - although this is a somewhat cobbled together response to a fundemental need to communicate to other humans.
We should not be surprised that the young have embraced this technology to such an extent. They have been robbed of natural human interaction as small communities - in country and city - have disappeared.

Where is your evidence for this massive generalisation?
This is an angst-ridden piece from an Xer/boomer despairing that the current generation aren't as committed or as engaged as they were. Says who?
There's no evidence for this, just subjective personal responses and anecdotes.

This is the age old cry of the older generation about the younger generation:

"They do not conform"

The world is changing, and teenagers seem remote secretive and rebellious as they have for many generations.

The internet is a tool not a cause.

This has been observed elsewhere, and not just among the young. Robert Putnam wrote a book on the loss of community networks, 'bowling alone' http://www.bowlingalone.com/

Baxter..... crap.

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/your-facebook-friends-can-be-real-after-all-20100126-mwet.html

'As an ex crisis intervention counselor[sic]..'

Good stuff Hyacinth!

Shalmaneser,

A voice of sanity.

SM,

Too true. It was always better in the good ol' days, and microwave ovens will make you sterile aye;-)