I don’t hold out much hope for my generation. If nothing else, my generation, the Millennial Generation, will probably be the destroyer of this civilization. Sure, the United States government may still be around, but our power and prestige will be diminished. I suppose it may be for the best because every great society needs a humbling every now and then. Last century that was what essentially happened to Europe, or more specifically, Great Britain. Not so great these days in comparison.
The problem is that my generation continually clings to fairy tales and lives in utter denial of the reality of the situation we’re all in. Right now, the elderly are stealing from the young, legally of course, in order to fund their own activities. And while we can debate over whether they’ve earned it, I find it hard to justify a situation where people are robbed for no other reason than to support the recreational activities of other people. I suppose this is why the government doesn’t like thieves: it’s too much competition in the mix.
On top of that, we are an entertainment-driven culture where our every moment we aren’t spending sleeping and working, we are seeking some kind of media buzz from somewhere. I guess that’s why movies like Twilight are so popular: it’s not that they are good, just entertaining.
Combine that with the many myths that are thrust upon us throughout our childhood. The biggest myth that nobody talks about these days, because it was thoroughly disproven, was the whole hole in the ozone layer. There were children’s television programs, museum presentations, and songs about the disastrous hole in the ozone layer. When I ended up taking an advanced class in chemistry in high school, I learned that ozone is created when ultraviolet rays split oxygen molecules in two, which then bond with other oxygen molecules. And since the sun constantly bombards the Earth with ultraviolet rays, ozone is continually created. The holes themselves are located at the polar caps, where the least amount of ultraviolet rays hit the Earth. In other words, if you investigated the science of it, you’ll find that it’s total bunk. And people are still listening to environmentalists.
But my generation has received the worst education from government skools where they focus on self-esteem more than actual skills that would help them in the real world. Requiring students to go through four years of English Literature to graduate but neglecting to teach even basic economic principles is very counter-productive and only serves to dumb down society. If people can’t understand even basic economics, they are more willing to trust so-called experts or people they perceive as smarter than they are. That is a dangerous way to manage knowledge because all experts are human and therefore has their own agendas to serve. They could very well be lying for their own benefit and you wouldn’t be able to know it.
Finally, many romantic movies that emphasize going with your feelings rather than a balanced outlook using your emotions and your reason have literally placed many young adult women (and men) in a surreal fantasy realm. In this realm, you’re looking for the one who will make you whole. In other words, you’re placing high standards on someone you don’t know but are pretty sure will make your miserable life perfect. Then you’ll find that person and figure out that this person is just as miserable as you and won’t fix your life because that’s expected of you.
In short, my generation is living in a dangerous fairy tale. I get criticized for my Christian following as if I am delusional. It’s OK with me because I’m not here to defend God and His Ways. Also, I don’t really care about the salvation of others all that much. But the pure delusion that many young people believe these days is really frightening. Such an environment is dangerous.
And when the fairy tale goes sour, the children of Oberon will rise up and destroy the real world around them because fairies aren’t all that nice.