Maybe I’m really stuck in the 90’s; or I’m simply considered to be ‘old school’ when I’m only in my 30’s…
For a bit more than 2-months being back in the U.S. for good, being able to have a variety of media from RSS feeds to major television networks to cable channels; I’ve noticed that we might like to have discussions over adding to the existing comprehensive education syllabus/curriculum for future generations.
I’m considered as one of the “me, me, me and more of me please…” generation. I personally think that this syndrome has moved its severity over time. I’m born at the end of 70’s, so it’s 30+ odd years of breeding young adults into monsters of self-indulgence to extremists of narcissism.
Nothing wrong with focusing on one-self to dream big things in life. Nothing wrong with pampering one-self with things that he/she enjoys. Who doesn’t want the finer things in life? It’s in most people’s nature to be better. In whichever criteria you’d like quantify in to be better…
Having the above two paragraphs in mind, a few things I’d like to ask all of us to think deeper into the underlying meaning through recent media:
- The Jodi Arias case. Well, those who are old enough to remember the O.J. Simpson case. Back then, having your wife/spouse assaulted with a few blows maybe to take her life away has morphed into slaughtering your partner with 30+ slashes.
- For argument sake, from Hannibal Lecter with psycho fetishes that has morphed into abducting young women, holding them in captive for a decade, treating them as sex slaves and abuse them violently when they’re pregnant.
- From my adolescent days of maybe violating a few school rules of smoking within school campus to a bit of pushing and picking of freshman’s to morphing into slipping sedatives in drinks and gang rape, plus a amateur video to document it as a fun experience.
These came to mind as I wrote. I’m sure those who are at my age or older can think of more things that are ‘outrageous’ to us, but it’s ‘kinda’ acceptable to young adults. When I say ‘kinda’, I’m not promoting or advertising such behaviors and/or actions are moral and/or ethical at all – since the above mentioned are being penalized or under trial for their actions.
The main focus here now are morals and ethics. I think that how our generations of ‘me, me, me and more of me’ has grown to develop extreme selfish behavior while morals and ethics are completely neglected. I think if we don’t try to shift it back to some sort of balance of ‘me, me, me’ with some education of morals and ethics – the snowball will only get bigger and bigger and possibly bulldoze everything that comes across their way to the extreme of an avalanche!
Some may say that I’m generalizing. Some may say that I’m over pessimistic. You may be correct. However, there’s nothing wrong with promoting critical thinking in young adults either. Some sort of moral and ethics education during Junior High to High School students will only help young adults to build on a foundation to think before they act, making wise decisions on their abundant choices that they somewhat take for granted which may lead to undesired consequences. Neither am I trying to promote the ‘dictatorship’ style of teachings in our education system because as young adults, they are ‘semi’ adults that has their mind of their own, seeking for answers, as their path move toward independence and be self-sufficient. They have the brain power to make choices and decisions of their own to a certain extent and it’s the perfect timing for young adults to brainstorm themselves on what are considered moral and ethical.
Just my thoughts that education on morals and ethics should start very light and easy to understand. It should start of with questions that raises the spark of lightbulbs in young adults’ brains. It probably progresses into deeper understanding of theories as they become seniors in High School and for those who are interested can then pick as a major of Arts & Sciences in college.
This makes me think of my High School that did offer a such a course on ethics with a great textbook that I kept till today:
McInerney, Peter K. and George W. Rainbolt. Ethics. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 1994. PRINT.
It was in-depth enough yet easy to understand for levels of Junior/Senior students in High School.
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While I’m on the subject of education, for some reason, I think that a few Hollywood films that teachers of US History in High School should consider as part of their syllabus:
Far and Away (1992)
Forrest Gump (1994)
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Lincoln (2012)
There may be more, these are the four that came to mind that portrays the essence of United States in different ways. It doesn’t necessarily give the actual facts like a documentary but it allows students to ‘feel’ how United States history has an effect on Americans ‘back in those days’. I think that it will help students to get a better understanding of facts in history, not to mention it’s a great way to strike interesting discussions, projects, essays, presentations etc…
Last thought on this blog today is when the world is moving in lightning speed, many of us seem to forget lots of things that happen in the past that makes us who we are. Especially for those who never went through a war (including myself). When we are so focused on how fast we move in lightning speeds, the past seems to be boring and less important. Not true. It is more an important aspect to learn about the past as time passes.
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Photo Credits:
http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/forrest-gump/images/2210815/title/forrest-gump-screencap
Thoughts from Arnold 