Listen to thisWith Technology, Where is the
Filter?
...
Youngsters today have access to the number
one source of negativity: technology.
Teenagers today have not been instilled with the values that have been placed in young people in years before. We are far too comfortable with what we say, post or even listen to. Where did we lose the filter for right and wrong?
Growing up in the true south, we are accustomed to that good old hospitality that southerners are known for. Elisa Marks, Woodland’s performing arts teacher, agrees, “When I moved here from Florida, I noticed that everyone here had such a genuine kindness. It is so different from what I was used to.”
While the stereotype of southern hospitality is true, it has digressed from what it used to be. Back in the day of “front-porch sitting” and “casual strolls through town,” it was common to hear the sounds of respect for authority and others. “Yes ma’am” and “no sir” were permanent staples in the vocabulary of the young. Something that must be taken into consideration is that the youth of “back in the day” did not have access to the number one source of negativity: technology.
Due to the technology savvy generation we have been brought up in, we are exposed to a large accumulation of unfiltered thoughts splattered across the walls of Facebook and the timelines of Twitter. How are these words any different than the words coming from our mouths? It seems that members of society think that they are shielded by the screen in front of them, when in reality, typed words have the same devastating impact as spoken words.
For example, a student in our own school was targeted on MySpace when she was in seventh grade. As she looked back on the experience she recalled, “A girl who I thought was my friend, posted on my page, ‘No one would care if you died today.’” When asked the about the impact it made on her, she responded, “At the time, it made me feel worthless, but now I know it was just a ignorant girl using the Internet as a mask.”
The computer seemingly has given young people permission to openly speak harshly of others.
“Teenagers don’t realize that what they post on their social network is public information” said Assistant Principal Dr. Butler. “This generation is having an issue with the true art of communication. It has a tendency to confuse personal and professional speak. Therefore, posts should only be professional speak.”
Another contributor to teenager’s flippant attitude sometimes comes from parents. An English teacher, Tim Morris, had strong thoughts on this viewpoint: “Parents try too hard to be the cool parent when they need to focus on being a good parent.”
As teenagers we want our freedom, however, restraints have to be put in place. Mr. Morris added, “Parents do not regulate what their children do, and do not discipline as they should.”
As we go through our day, it is hard to guard our ears from obscene and negative words. The only person we can control in social situations is ourselves. Although it is sometimes difficult, when speaking, or typing, we must remember to always filter out the cruel thoughts that run through our heads. Our goal should be to help purify society through actions and words.
About this column: The student journalists of
Woodland High School are contributing to Cartersville Patch.
To see more of their work, go to http://patch.com/buVcE.
Hannah Wehunt and Taylor Bays
15 October 2011
