Generation Q

Merely by lifting one's head on the train car of the Metro in Washington D.C., strolling through New York City's Central Park, or sitting on a town bench back home, it is quite clear to see the evolution in social interaction from our childhood to now the second decade of the twentieth first century.

One of my first professors at college told our class of the name our generation (children born in the 1980's-1991) has been dubbed; Generation Q. My first reaction was of awe, insult, and curiosity. How could an old man preach to a body of students when the only thing they share in common are biological? I for one was a child who stayed out until the street lights came on, celebrated my first Walkman, and ran trouble at the playground. More and more all around us - globally occurring - the children of my own generation and younger have taken on a new attitude (some may argue 'reliance' would be more fitting here) toward technological advancements, many of which remove the priceless event of social interaction.

Social interaction is something that binds civilizations. Language is considered as the first significant accomplishment by humanoids to keep groups and families cohesive; it is what makes the human species able to develop, cooperate, and succeed. Although its value is not taken for granted, it is being supressed, primarily by the Generaiton Q. By walking one's dog with a bluetooth in, commuting to work with an iPod, looking down to text, or any of the other ways to avoid social interaction, we are becoming a culture no longer concerned with unwanted interaction.

Texting, a popular form of non-verbal interation, is even believed to be dangerous. (http://www.piercecountyherald.com/event/article/id/23539/group/News/) Believe that! Some even believe texting while driving is equal to or more dangerous than drunk driving. Texting while driving has become such an issue in places like Wisconsin that local governments are making progress to pass legislation banning texting while driving.

On your way to class/work torrow, leave the iPod at home, turn off the phone, and see what king of world we actually live in. See if you can even make it.

As-Salamu Alaykum
-Abe Froman