Are millennials suffering from cyber addiction?

IN THE book Connecting to the Net. Generation: What Higher Education Professionals Need to Know About Today’s Students, a survey of 7,705 college students in the United States revealed the following:

I 97% own a computer;

I 94% own a cellular phone;

I 76% used instant messaging;

I 49% download music using peerto-peer file sharing;

I 75% have a Facebook account;

I 60% own some type of portable music and/or video device such as an iPod;

90% have had premarital sex. As we look at the statistics, we recognise that this is no ordinary generation.

Born between the early 1980s and 2000s, their parents are confounded by them, workplaces are baffled by their attitude and work ethics, evangelism strategies are challenged by them, and society is demoralised by their seeming lack of common sense; scant regard for high morals, values and standards; and little or no respect for their elders.

Could it be that their birth into a technological world has rewired their minds and reprogrammed their lives, thus crafting a new and emerging fabric of society?

In 1996, Dr Kimberly Young, in her seminal paper, indicated that computer use meets the criterion for an addiction and, therefore, should be included in the next iteration of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Today, more than 20 years later, more and more countries are seeing computer use as a significant public health threat to society, and Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) is now said to be causing neurological complications, psychological disturbances, and social problems.

How can you tell if you are “cyber” addicted? It is purported that if you play video games on the Internet in excess; compulsively shop on line;

Iyour friends and family express concern regarding your excessive amount of time spent online; you are neglecting your health, your work, and your life for the thrill of being online; and if you are experiencing mood swings due to “wanting a fix” by being on line, it is possible that you could be suffering from IAD, also commonly referred to as Compulsive Internet Use, Problematic Internet Use, or iDisorder.

The Center for Online Addiction Recovery defines Internet addiction as “a compulsive behaviour that dominates a person’s life”.

NOT AWARE

Addiction can go from cybersex and pornography use to online chatting, shopping, and website surfing. Similar to drug or alcohol addiction is “cyber” addiction.

If leaders on a whole, whether in government, the Church, organisations, or the businesses sector, fail to become aware of the seemingly negative effect that technology is creating in the lives of our children, then we will have a generation that Proverbs 30:11-14 describes and that will be fulfilled just about any time now.

Here is how the Bible describes the generation of a society on the verge of collapse. “There is a generation that curses their father and does not bless their mother. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. There is a generation, oh how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up. There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.” Are we almost there?

When we take a look at the Jamaican society, the social ills, the upsurge of crime and violence, the scant regard for life, the get-rich-quick mentality (especially scamming), and the impatience among millennials regarding change, then we recognise that the social wellbeing of this nation, and, by extension, the world, cannot be business as usual.

Our 2030 vision is to create a Jamaica, where the people of this nation can live, raise families, work, and do business. However, with IAD on the rise, we can no longer ignore the downside that technology has brought to the human race.

We are being programmed and must now decide how much we will give up in order to maintain and grow a stable society and fulfil our dreams.

All hands are needed on deck as we go the extra mile to create awareness of the ills and the proper use of social media and the Internet in our everyday lives.

We need to collaborate to educate parents, mentor and nurture our children towards a more positive and productive lifestyle and engage agencies and stockholders and any other interested entity in this awareness-drive initiative towards a better society – community by community. I invite you to come with us and let’s make that awesome difference!!!

Judith Forbes is an administrative professional and assistant director, Jamaica Union Conference and first vice-president of the Manchester Parish Development Committee. Feedback: editorial@gleanerjm.com

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