Posted by
American Sweetheart on Tuesday, July 29, 2008 7:13:58 PM
I've been thinking lately about the demise of American Culture and values. Since becoming an industrialized nation, I believe we have fallen further away from our values with each passing decade.
The more technologically advanced we become, the more our morals and values plummet. With the internet at our fingertips at any moment of the day, digital cameras, camera phones, and the general main stream media and cable television, everyone is able to achieve their 15 minutes of fame. However, those 15 minutes come at the cost of your dignity and self respect.
When did it suddenly become uncool to gain your 15 minutes by doing a good deed? By inventing something amazing? By curing a disease or coming up with the new "sliced bread"? Since when is gaining your 15 minutes by prancing around the internet half naked, completely naked, by blowing marijuana smoke in the face on an infant, or by attacking a young girl and trapping her in the house an acceptable form of fame?
The more technologically advanced we become, it seems the more "evil" we become. The less time we spend with our families as our children lock themselves in their rooms with their laptops, tvs, X Box 360s, and ipods. What happened to sitting down with your kids and TALKING to them? Finding out who their friends are, what is going on in school?
I am only 25 years old...but I remember playing board games with my dad, cards with my mom, my dad reading to me, my mom having to approve of my clothes, and my dad taking away any violent video games from us. I remember the day we lost the privilege of having TVs in our bedrooms. I remember us not being allowed to have computers in our bedrooms unless they were NOT hooked up to the internet. The only computer in the house with internet was in the living room and our time was monitored. My mom was allowed at anytime to read our IMs with our friends. She bought the computer. It was her house. Her and dad paid the internet bill.
When we got our drivers liceneses, we were allowed to take mom's cell phone with us incase of an emergency. There was no "let's get a family plan."
Technology can be a dangerous thing, and it is being used irresponsibly in this country and around the world. Does the internet have GREAT advantages? Of course. Are ipods a nice thing to have? Yes. But do you know what is on your child's? Do you know what sites they are visiting? Do you know who they are texting and picturemailing and what they are sending?
The more advanced we become, the more people simply do not care how they are seen. They believe there are no reprocusions for their actions. I could be wrong, but there is definitely a problem and it needs to be solved. Parents are the key to solving it.