A PSYCHO-PERSPECTIVE INTO GENERATIONAL GAPS

THE progression of time has brought with it various forms and different kinds of changes to our society and this may serve as evidence when noting how much of a far-cry the world you were born into is from what it is now. As well, there have been changes in not just in the physical landscape; with all the structural evolution that we see because of all the technology that has come about overtime; but also there have been wholesale transformations at social and psychological levels of our existence.

Changes

Although the social changes are equally as overbearing, it is the psychological shift, especially in and among the youth born in the latter part of the 20th and 21st centuries, that is of particular interest to me. The reason that is the case is, for one; the future of the county lies in the hands and minds of the youth, therefore, how they think, their opinions, perceptions and general worldviews are key components of the (intellectual) direction in which the progression of our country lies. I am of the opinion that this is general consensus and something we can all agree with. Another reason why this is so lies in the fact that young people (those born in the late 90s and early 2000s) are products of a generation that was brought up in a socially, morally and psychologically different era than the one their children are born into.

Values

It is these psychological dynamics and differences in perspective that governs the parent-child relationship as the parent attempts to consistently instil into their child the same values, morals and principles they grew up on. However, what I have keenly noticed is that, most times there is certain disconnect between many of our parents’ views of the world and their opinions by comparison to how and what we think, for instance. The youths’ views of certain social issues, like mental health for instance, tend to stray from what our parents think of such topics; same goes for political standpoints as well, and it is not just limited to those particular spheres, the divergence in worldview between the generations encapsulates the whole ‘board’. As aforementioned, these psychological shifts can be accounted for by ‘changes in times’ and the consistence in evolution of our society, bringing with it even more alterations to the social and moral landscapes.

Communication

With the youth being firmly at the helm of communication and technological advancements like social media platforms, they have more ‘opinion resources’ by comparison to what our parents had, and as a result, the influential prowess of such technological advancements has worked to mold and influence the very nature of our youth. This also goes hand-in-hand with how literacy rates have improved over the years and young people today have more accessible route to pursue their degrees and even higher academic reaches, therefore, they are more exposed to the nuances of global community, thus increasing its influence potential on individuals.

Therefore, collectively, the youth are a totally different proposition in terms of their psyche, their worldviews and general perception and consequently this will have a bearing on their thoughts and actions. The clashes in opinion with those a generation or two ahead of us may be likely, but in the end, it is about doing your best to understand and put into perspective the next persons’ views for the purposes of promoting peace and harmony in our society. Send comments to runsford0505@gmail.com.

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