Technology

Last week I attended the monthly luncheon for my SCCSML scholarship and we were discussing a book that raised many interesting questions.  One that caught my interest dealt with technology and the role it plays in the up and coming generation, specifically communication.  People do not communicate the way they used to, especially when dealing with face to face interactions.  The younger generation does not know how to interact on a professional level in a face to face environment, and many believe it can be traced to technology.  With cell phones and the internet communication is taking a much more impersonal level and it is affecting the next generation in a negative way.   Another way technology is having a negative impact is through our impatience.  Sega is developing a urinal video game that is controlled by the urine of the participant.  It is sad that our generation has reached such a humiliating level as to have to stoop to urinal video games.

Self Entitlement

Early last week I read an article involving a prospective high school basketball player, his family, and the coach.  The coach had a rule stating hair had to be above the eyebrows and ears in order to play on the team.  The student in question wore shoulder length dreads, refused to cut them, and in turn got kicked off the team.  Because of this, his family was attempting to sue the school before they reached an agreement and withdrew the lawsuit.  However, the fact remains that they had the audacity to think they could sue the school and be the one exception to a rule that had existed for thirty years.  The amount of self-entitlement the upcoming generation of Americans has is incredible.  Never, in any team sport is one individual more important by the team, and that is the purpose of this rule.  By keeping his dreads, this player would have stood out from the rest of the team and drawn more attention to him.  Now yes, there is the argument of individualism, however, as stated above, in a team setting no individual is more important than the team.  Besides, the student has to learn sooner or later that conformity will be necessary.  The only job that would let him keep his dreads would be as an artist of some sort, be it athlete, musician, or artist. Any other job where he would work for a corporation in an office, or for any other company where one has to look decent at best for work, he would be required to cut his hair.  It is required for the clean professional look the office desires, because the image of one can greatly influence the image of the office.  This is another reason the rule is in place.  The coach would not want one player with a loud extravagant hairstyle influencing the image of the rest of the team.  By refusing to respect the coaches authority it gets into something much greater than just a haircut.  By remaining off the team, the player is saying that he cares more for himself as an individual and for his hair then he does for the welfare of the mens basketball team.  Back when my father was in high school, everyone cut there hair for sports as it was an honor to be selected to the team and a small sacrifice such as hair was not even looked at as a sacrifice.  The point is, if this kid is unwilling to cut his hair to play a sport that he has wanted to play, what other decisions and sacrifices necessary to life will this kid make, or not make later on in life?  The prospect is somewhat scary as the future of America rests in the hands of teenagers like this.