Development is what everyone looks forward to. It is the dream of every person, family, society and nation to develop in one way or the other. However, achieving development is easier to be said than done.
Social values...as if it never existed.
Maldivians have been living on their small island peacefully for several centuries, with their own values, beliefs, customs and a way of life. Yet things have started changing quiet fast.
Talking about any change is no a simple job. So, I'd rather get to the safe side and talk about myself. Myself here i mean not who I am but what I am. As a youth of this country, I like to share my views about the state of social values that the youth of today believes in.
A whistle to a girl on the street makes you cool. Yo man!! A dyed hair with a good spike makes you smart. Been a part of one group or another makes you powerful. If not drugs, at least a cigarette will make you a real man. Respecting elders and parents lets you down and shouting and scolding at them makes you a free guy. stabbing someones neck with a knife makes you a real hero. If you are neither of these, according to their terms your an out dated person.
It will not be an overstatement for me to say that a very large percentage of today's youth doesn't have or doesn't even believe in social values. But why? why did it go so wrong? very simply due to the change in behavior. According to experts, there are four major reasons for changes in behavior. If we could look at these four reasons, and try to correct, maybe we could hope to breath to a better society tomorrow.
1. Family. "A wild goose never laid a tame egg." Family of cause is the foundation of life for every single person. There are many problems with the family systems of our society. If you wont to see the scale of it, i will give one such example which could be enough to persuade you. Maldives was named as the country with the highest rate of divorce in the world record book. The next problem is that most of the time the fathers are believed to be simply the breadwinners who have no part is the looking after children. Yet the reality is that they are the ones who can have an impact. Moreover, in our society, parents and kids have a very "professional"relationship rather than a friendly relationship where the children feels free and safe to ask and tell what they want. If our families become more responsible thing may turn around once again.
2. Peers. "A bird of a feather flocks together". That's what they say. The pressure of friend does play an important role in personality of a developing child. That is why we see the "horns" growing in once our little innocent boy/girls just after they join their secondary schools. In their young age they will get new friends and shift themselves from family oriented to friends oriented life. It is here that we need to show them the right path, right friends, and the right way.
3. Society. "How can a society that exists on instant mashed potatoes, packaged cake mixes, frozen dinners, and instant cameras teach patience to its young?*1 ". It will be like expecting a miracle to happen if we expect a better generation without bringing about a change to our society. Today our society are showing disrespect to elders, rules and regulations. Unless it changes it will be a joke for us to expect the youth to be better than us.
4. Media. "I don't think anyone in the media thinks strategically about society."*2 If i say Kasautii Zindagii taking our zindaggi of our girls, will you mind? what about the TNA wrestling. and how about the very many movies, sites, pictures, etc... which are morally wrong. At last the biggest mistake the media makes is to show the youngsters that rights...rights...rights...and rights without ever mentioning responsibilities.
I am sure this went too long. Hope i could make it shorter next time. After all it went so long because this is so much a big issue of our society today.
note:1 and 2 are taken from: http://www.brainyquote.com/
Social values...as if it never existed.
Maldivians have been living on their small island peacefully for several centuries, with their own values, beliefs, customs and a way of life. Yet things have started changing quiet fast.
Talking about any change is no a simple job. So, I'd rather get to the safe side and talk about myself. Myself here i mean not who I am but what I am. As a youth of this country, I like to share my views about the state of social values that the youth of today believes in.
A whistle to a girl on the street makes you cool. Yo man!! A dyed hair with a good spike makes you smart. Been a part of one group or another makes you powerful. If not drugs, at least a cigarette will make you a real man. Respecting elders and parents lets you down and shouting and scolding at them makes you a free guy. stabbing someones neck with a knife makes you a real hero. If you are neither of these, according to their terms your an out dated person.
It will not be an overstatement for me to say that a very large percentage of today's youth doesn't have or doesn't even believe in social values. But why? why did it go so wrong? very simply due to the change in behavior. According to experts, there are four major reasons for changes in behavior. If we could look at these four reasons, and try to correct, maybe we could hope to breath to a better society tomorrow.
1. Family. "A wild goose never laid a tame egg." Family of cause is the foundation of life for every single person. There are many problems with the family systems of our society. If you wont to see the scale of it, i will give one such example which could be enough to persuade you. Maldives was named as the country with the highest rate of divorce in the world record book. The next problem is that most of the time the fathers are believed to be simply the breadwinners who have no part is the looking after children. Yet the reality is that they are the ones who can have an impact. Moreover, in our society, parents and kids have a very "professional"relationship rather than a friendly relationship where the children feels free and safe to ask and tell what they want. If our families become more responsible thing may turn around once again.
2. Peers. "A bird of a feather flocks together". That's what they say. The pressure of friend does play an important role in personality of a developing child. That is why we see the "horns" growing in once our little innocent boy/girls just after they join their secondary schools. In their young age they will get new friends and shift themselves from family oriented to friends oriented life. It is here that we need to show them the right path, right friends, and the right way.
3. Society. "How can a society that exists on instant mashed potatoes, packaged cake mixes, frozen dinners, and instant cameras teach patience to its young?*1 ". It will be like expecting a miracle to happen if we expect a better generation without bringing about a change to our society. Today our society are showing disrespect to elders, rules and regulations. Unless it changes it will be a joke for us to expect the youth to be better than us.
4. Media. "I don't think anyone in the media thinks strategically about society."*2 If i say Kasautii Zindagii taking our zindaggi of our girls, will you mind? what about the TNA wrestling. and how about the very many movies, sites, pictures, etc... which are morally wrong. At last the biggest mistake the media makes is to show the youngsters that rights...rights...rights...and rights without ever mentioning responsibilities.
I am sure this went too long. Hope i could make it shorter next time. After all it went so long because this is so much a big issue of our society today.
note:1 and 2 are taken from: http://www.brainyquote.com/