BY LEULSEGED WORKU
There is a common consensus among scholars that, be it formal or informal, education plays a significant role in nurturing morally responsible youths that value social and cultural norms of their country. However, in this 21st century where technology is taking the lead in every aspect of life, eroding local cultural values and indigenous knowledge has become the simplest task.
As technology becomes accessible to everyone, local cultures have become a prey to imported ones. This is done mostly by controlling the mind of the youth through social-media or corrupting their thoughts systematically and invisibly through technologies. This is what we are witnessing in this period where acculturation is becoming the norm.
According to Birhan Wondemu (PhD), lecturer at Addis Ababa University Psychology Department, investing in the youth is investing in the whole activities of the nation. Whenever a country spends its money and resources to nurture morally and ethically responsible youth, it is fighting directly and indirectly acculturation and preserving local social norms.
There is always generational change within a given time of period. Due to technological transformation and other related factors, it is common to observe behavioral changes among the young people. Urbanization and domestic migration could also be the reason for such change. For instance, a farmer who once was an orthodox culturally could change that value with the change of lifestyle. Due to the new lifestyle the farmer and his children adopted in urban centers, they could totally replace their previous norms with new value systems. The youth are susceptible to such transformation. Their exposure to technology together with peer pressure in school may force them to adopt a new lifestyle that totally contradicts their family norms.
Ethiopia is a land where several cultural practices are entertained by multitudes. These cultural values are the true identities of each and every Ethiopian. Despite the internal and external pressures, most of them are still intact. However, due to technological influence (especially social media) the youth is currently seen being absorbed by foreign cultures at the expense of the local ones.
According to Birhan, by their nature, the youth are adventures and have a great desire to try something new; globalization with all its invisible weapons is filling this gap and feeding the youth with alien cultures which are not Ethiopian. In this regard, the role of education in shaping generational behavior is unquestionable and it should not always be theoretical. Education must be practical that goes beyond classroom setups.
The educational curriculum should provide all necessary knowledge to the new generation in a practical life experience. However, professional quality and absence of sufficient material are hindering the process. Indeed, there is Civic and Ethical education but it must be practical and included in other projects to make it part of their life. For instance, practical implementation of the subject in areas of voluntarism will help students to understand what morality means.
Concerning proper handling of teenagers, Birhan said that, an attempt to use coercive mechanisms to control the youth is creating a great gap between parents and children. According to her, the more parents become harsh and over controlling, the more their teenage children will loosen their attachment to them and develop a new lifestyle by hiding themselves within social media or develop unhealthy attachment with their friends.
Birhan also noted that creating a responsible citizen needs the combined effort of every citizen concurrent to the responsibility to parents. While globalization has its own positive sides, it also has an adverse effect on the future of our youth. This is especially true when the youth are addicts of all forms of disinformation or misinformation circulated via social media. Under such conditions parents, families, teachers and others should be there to support the youth. Having a closer and healthy attachment with the youth will help them out from all life challenges.
Due to technological transformation, cultural shock is becoming an inevitable part of life. This is particularly true for the youth who have become addicted to social media. Culture shock used to be experienced only in real life when people travelled to new locations and encountered new cultural practices. However, with the advent of modern communication technologies, one does not need to travel to get a cultural shock.
The wide spread use of smart mobile devices and continuous internet connectivity has brought it to individuals. In this regard, paying prior attention to its resultant effect and possible way to surmount the effect is very important. Proper consideration of the case and taking the necessary measures is not only to save the youth but also the future of the nation. Whenever the nation safeguards the true identity and color of its youth generation, it is preserving its cultural and moral value systems.
Documents indicated that it is a bitter truth that overprotected children are more likely to fail and parents need to be cautious to not let this happen to their child. However, instead of being overprotective, they could apply several techniques to monitor their teenage children. Since this age (teenage) is transitional, children might end up becoming irresponsible and develop a negative perception towards themselves, their surrounding and about life. The more parents reflect a morally and ethically acceptable lifestyle, the more they will create a responsible generation that cannot be overtaken by adverse effects of globalization and will value the local customs
The Ethiopian Herald May 25/2023
