Paradise Lost

A common tired lament read often here relates to how the youth of today are just, well, lost.  I really believe that in many ways, they are.  But why?  I am not sure, but the clearest evidences reveal themselves in the culture, in music and other entertainment, and via technological addictions.  There is just no "there" there.  It seems to be a decade by decade decadent decline.  Beginning with the vacuous "hair-bands" of the 80's to the self-loathing of the "grunge" movement and its fallen leader, Kurt Cobain, of the 90's.  Then came the turn of the century and what do we have, Lady Gaga and what I might call "grunge gone techno."  Where is the idealism?  There are occasional bright lights, but generally they come from far away lands and even then Shakira seems to be overtaken by the Gaga-factor.  I believe there is so much technology to distract today with Facebook and text messaging, that young people don't give a second notion to things that really matter.  They seem to be too busy checking up on who is doing what to whom, where and why.  There seems to be a contemporaneous expansion and contraction of the world.  Smaller and more powerful computer chips make the world and all the information it contains infinitely more accessible, but at the same time gives rise to the arrogant attitude of, who cares?  If I can be in constant contact every second with my inner circle, why ever even consider breaking out of it?  Sometimes it drives me mad to see my kids, or Lily's kids, or anyone's kids, being completely engrossed, with every attention molecule that their brains can muster, in their cell phone, or i-phone, or i-pad, or whatever.  I guess we all owe a great deal of gratitude to Steven Jobs for stealing our children.  So what is the answer?  I believe it will come when young people, perhaps through this technological vehicle, catch the idea that there are things that matter other than them and their circle of compadres.  That through this incredible and powerful vehicle change is possible and that they can be catalysts of it.  That poverty can be eliminated, the earth can become a clean place, wars can become unnecessary and irrelevant, and we can really "all get along."  The earth can truly become a smaller bigger place for each person that inhabits it.  We can relate and communicate with far away cultures and by doing so become more cultured.  We can reach out and touch someone in ways that change both them and us.  But right now, all I see, at least for the most part, is that technology is being used to become more and more self-indulgent.  To stay connected at all times to one's small circle of influence is all that really matters, when that really matters the least of all.  There is a possibility here for "paradise lost" to become "paradise gained," but only if the concept of what matters can be expanded light years ahead of where it seems to be at the present moment, at least in the minds of the majority of today's youth and the Gagaestic entertainers that clamour for their attention.  How'z that for a provocative post?