So you thought we were done? Not quite.
The same manner in which boomers have had unhealthy ideas about sex and gender, with their perpetuation of rape culture and toxic masculinity. Today’s youth are in a moral and cultural upheaval due to unchecked access to sex and sexual information.
Overexposure and the algorithm trapÂ
Students as young as Grade 4 are cognizant of, and capable with, vocabulary around oral sex to the extent that teachers are baffled as to what is being discussed right under their noses. Tik Tok and YouTube algorithms push misogynistic, red -pilled videos which encourage ideas of alpha males, high value women, and other toxic filled ideas into the brains of young men and women, who often lack the common sense and critical thinking to analyze such information.
Morality and communal values astrayÂ
Because of their early, and often inelegant, exposure to social mores and values, there is definitely a lack of communal values across the generations. With the advent of the internet, and proliferation of revenge porn videos, they are hypersexualised, and exposed in particular to the fact that adults seem to lack any restraint when it comes to separating children from adult entertainment. Ask any secondary teacher, and one of their increasing fears is letting loose in a fete without being spotted by a pupil who will leave the fete later than them. Peruse any morning Jouvert, and count as many under 18s you can spot who are primed and programmed to take to their feet.
Now I enjoy moving and grooving, sometimes involuntarily, to a Dennery Segment song as the next person, but there should be no way 8 and 9 year olds should know all the words, especially as I just happen to be having a first listen.
Poverty, inequality and the failure of opportunity
Despite the many social safety nets by international donors, government programs, and private companies alongside individual efforts we cannot ignore the levels of inflation and inequality that continue to hammer our economies. Kids often come to school hungry, or stay home due to parents’ desire not to announce their dire economic state. And this is not to disparage quality of life, social and economic efforts by this government and other stakeholders, but to illustrate how inefficient and behind schedule they are.
School is a short term detention facility, not a lifeline
They often see school, and its perpetuation of certain prestigious jobs such as teacher, lawyer, doctor, and nurse as a hindrance to their economic freedom and desires to assist their parents financially. They lack the patience to wait for these job opportunities to bear fruit, and frankly, the lure of jobs that guarantee pay at the end of each task such as in the service industry (hair salon, barber, nail /lash tech, wig install etc) is understandable. (Despite the fact that actually attending business management and other related courses around their trade may make their eventual business more successful than if they just drop out and adopt the trade).
The vanishing of male influence.
With the drain of male influence in the teaching profession, with one key element being the fact that males often view teacher’s salaries as being too low to sustain a family or lifestyle, the boys are losing out on positive influences in the classroom. Now, they are left to view the boys on the block and unsavoury characters as the major influences in their life. A sure disaster as we are currently seeing. Are we currently reaping the whirlwind? We often claim not to know why but is the astounding lack of positive male influence the tip of the iceberg?
The urban- rural divide and inequality
The current urban rural divide is another aspect of what ails the youth, where some communities and their support systems are viewed as more vital than others due to where they live and perhaps who lives there as well. Surely it matters not where a child lives to determine how ‘alright in the morning’ they shall be?
The question lies as to what can be done to assist in easing the quagmire in which the youth find themselves in? Is it too late? Are they a wasted generation or does hope still exist?
Stay tuned.