The
Generation of Today: A Humiliation in History
We are living in a modernized,
industrialized, and scientific era with high innovations of technology and ever
growing population. We are living in an era where most people in the world are
being educated and properly prepared for the fast-paced lifestyle in this ever
changing world. We are living in an era where everything comes as a result of
our history, civilization, and discovery. But despite all these positive
outcomes our world has delved into from the product of history, human
intelligence out of curiosity, and constant discovery, we live in an era where
the degradation of moral values is becoming more imminent and is slowly
accepted by the cultural norms. It is
the decrease of the values of today which makes our generation an undesirable
humiliation in the history of our world.
There are three different factors that I
think contribute to the qualification and generalization that our generation
for today is a humiliation in our world’s history: sexual immorality, language
vulgarity, and short-lived marriages. These are the abhorrent and shameful
aspects which are prominent in this generation’s lifestyle which are currently
fabricated and fashioned to be of acceptance in the cultural norms.
Sexual Immorality is the most popular
activity among the individuals of today, most especially to young adults,
adolescents, and teenagers. Media Portrayal could influence the minds of people
into thinking that sex could be practiced for everyone out of pleasure and
relief, even when the pair doing it is not married to each other. Films, magazines, the internet, and video
games play a big role for the people’s entertainment. Yet, nowadays, these
instruments of technology are being abused by the ones creating it. We see
films that portray sex life in normality as part of the daily lifestyle of the
unmarried characters in the movie. We see magazines showcasing pictures of
nudity or nakedness from professional hired models. Porn sites are even
prominent in the internet nowadays and the number of videos and pictures
uploaded and downloaded in the internet keeps on increasing, with the industry
of pornography ever propagating. Video games have been played by gamers for
their leisure activity and entertainment. Yet some video games involve sex as
part of their strategy and have playable characters with nude or semi-nude
appearance. Consequently, most instruments of the people’s entertainment
nowadays are slowly involving and entering into the culture of hedonism, where
it can satisfy the lustful needs of the people entertained by them, giving
immoral pleasure and perverted influence to those who lustfully crave for it.
There are some effects of which sexual
immorality is concerned and could lead people into as a result of their
misbehavior and uncontrollable character. Sexual Immorality could induce the
increase of teenage pregnancy (as the most particular practitioners involving
sexual immorality are the young individuals in their adolescent stage) and the distribution
of the different Sexually Transmitted Diseases (Chlamydia, Herpes, and
HIV-AIDS, commonly known as the Human Immuno Deficiency Virus – Acquired Immune
Deficiency Syndrome, the most famous Sexually Transmitted Disease which still
doesn’t have a cure up to date, are some examples of these diseases) in our
generation today. A typical teenage girl could raise a child on her own with or
without the support from her parents, depending whether her parents would still
accept and forgive her for her immoral deed. People who are sexually active and
practice sex with different partners almost every often might have the
possibility to become infected by the contagious Sexually Transmitted Diseases
which are apparently spreading highly in our generation and in the world of
today. Sexual Immorality is still being practiced and accepted in our world’s
culture today, with the people fabricating the wicked act and influencing others
to do the same.
Another cause which humiliates our generation
is the Language Vulgarity. Nowadays, it is often considered normal when someone
adds vulgar words into their own language. This ability of choosing the wrong
and despicable words to say degrades one’s own morality by decreasing one’s
courtesy, politeness, and proper manners. What cause this wicked taboo to be
accepted in today’s culture are the certain portrayals in the media and music. Films nowadays contain dialogues with
uncensored vulgar languages, indicating that it is okay for people to add
vulgarity into their language in their lifestyle. Songs nowadays, most
especially the rap songs, RnB, and hip-hop songs, contain lyrics that have
vulgar language in them which are sung by rappers who are prone to drugs,
alcohol, and cigarettes, and who have a disturbed past. These songs could
influence other people to speak vulgar words in their normal and daily
lifestyle as they admire the rappers or singers who sing it and became influenced
and encouraged to sing the song themselves, verbalizing the lyrics, and
eventually become accustomed to say vulgar words all the time.
People say that adding vulgar words into
their own language is considered a form of expression, especially when one has
the necessity to release one’s own anger through language vulgarity. I say that
it is always immoral to speak in vulgarity. Overall, it decreases one’s own
courtesy and manner with the use of vulgar words. Just as the famous
philosophical saying goes, “When one does not having anything nice to say, one
does not have to speak anything at all.” Speaking vulgar words could stain
one’s own moral character and trait.
The last factor which I think affects our
generation is the Short-lived Marriage. Ever since the act of divorce started
and was legally propagated, spouses are free to separate themselves from their
better half even when both of them are already united and concealed in the
sacrament of matrimony. Over time, marriages had been short-lived with the
propagation of divorce. When a certain married couple misunderstand each other,
they would settle the problem with divorce and completely separate from each
other. Some couples could even be influenced by the lifestyle of some depressed
and distressed celebrity couples, aiming for divorce in order for them to
separate from each other if they do not want, need, and love each other
anymore, most especially in Hollywood, influencing and encouraging the public
audience and fans alike to do the same as well. A legal separation of both
married husband and wife unified by marriage, in my opinion, is not considered
to be wrong especially when the both of them completely misunderstand each
other and have enraging conflicts which would lead to violent brutality to
either or both of them from time to time. But as I see it, most married couples
in our generation settle in for divorce even when the problem they have with
each other is solvable with a logical solution. The last time I checked, love
does not have an expiration date. So I think it is highly and deeply
unreasonable and irrational for couples to separate from each other for the
reason that their love and need for each other have expired and became
non-existent.
Short-lived marriages will have eventual
effects to those affected by it. Short-lived marriages would result into broken
families, single parenthood, and would cause psychological effect on the child
of the divorced couple. This could be a contributing factor for the decrease in
moral values in our world today. Marriage is supposed to be sacred, ordained by
God for the husband and the wife to unite with each other in a common bond, to
become one with each other for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health,
until their deaths divide them apart from each other, helping and supporting
with each other in raising a family, the basic unit of the society.
Indeed our generation is humiliating with
the moral values of this world slowly diminishing and fading completely out of
the minds of individuals who do not care of how proper attitude and cultural
norms should be conducted within our world’s society. Everything that happens nowadays
could become worse and lethal in the next generations to come. The
sustainability of values among the people in our generation is futile and
unavailing if people extend and influence their bad habits and wrong
characteristics to the younger generations. How then can we exemplify and
sustain a valued generation with right values, fundamental beliefs, and good
virtues if we practice devious behaviors, incorrect conduct, loathsome
lifestyle, and fabricated taboos in continuity in our world’s society? The
degradation of cultural values in the global norms of today is entirely evident
and fully apparent. It is the decrease
of the values of today which makes our generation an undesirable humiliation in
the history of our world.