One of the most common problems faced by many of today’s Americans is depression in all of its many forms. Given the massive volume of people and amount of drug usage to cure the problem, we have to ask some questions regarding the solutions that are offered. Is today’s society taking a path that will not only find the real roots of depression, but also provide solutions that strike at that root? I think not.
Not only is this society doing virtually nothing to advance major change in this area of human health, but the lifestyle encouraged by our society actually adds to the problem, if not creating it to begin with. The young people of this generation are so consumed by fake worlds created to entertain them while the parents do something more important than interacting with their children, and these worlds are creating an illusion that the children begin to live in. I’m talking about television.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not some sort of prophet proclaiming to the world the evils of TV and entertainment in general, but children today are so enamored and saturated by the worlds within the box they sit in front of for most of their young life, that when real situations slap them in the face, they are unable to deal with the disillusionment of their own ideals, and they cycle down into a state of rejection and depression. Television and movies should be used as tools to learn lessons or have a short time of good entertainment, but the lifestyle of young people today is absolutely consumed with these fake alternate realities.
Maybe a myriad of drugs and therapy are all that can be done for those who are now suffering from this symptom of the degradation of society, but the next generation needs to be prepared for the real world. The realism that movies are often able to project, are sadly even more damaging in their subtle deception, than the more obvious fantasy tales.
If society today wants to steer the future population away from the same kinds of problems that we face today, we need to be very honest with our children from a very early age. There is a lot of pain in our world, and although we do need to be working toward changing things for the better, we cannot lie to the next generation about the state we are currently in. They will grow up to expect a world where things always work out for the good guy, or someone will always be there to save them from the bad guy. Don’t let media, television, and movies be your children’s educator. That’s your job. Do it.
