Are We Suffering From 'Present Shock' in DeKalb County?

Here is an interesting article about a phenomenon called "present shock" which speaks to the need today for everything to be immediate, fast and all about "us."

We don't like to wait in line, sit on hold or listen to other people talk when we think we have all the answers. We're losing our empathy and so are the children of this generation. Children are being taught with screens and "interactive" DVDs, but even the best in technological advances does not replace the learning that comes from interacting with another human being. 

DeKalb County could be suffering from "present shock." The schools are changing, indeed our entire county's governance structure appears to be changing whether or not we wish to go along with it. The wheels are in motion, but where are we headed? 

As this narrative is being written, police and SWAT teams are working to find the suspects in another terror bombing, this one in Boston. An entire city of more than a million people is quite literally locked inside their own homes, waiting for safety and order to be restored. The rest of us watch the news in shock. We have been here before. This is not progress. But, what can we do? 

Every moment we spend behind a keyboard, looking at news on our phones, tweeting, texting and basically trying to remain "in the loop," we are also missing opportunities to actually talk to others, to smile and have someone smile back, to listen to the ideas of others rather than read them from a screen, to shake hands, to compromise, to hug, to care. We are in jeopardy of losing our humanity and our empathy for others if this trend of replacing real relationships with ones created behind a facade of screen names.

The entitlement generation is quickly becoming the demanding one as well. Children are easily bored, often overlooked or barely tolerated by those who do not have any of their own. The way these children are being raised today will affect all of us one day if we do not reach out and help shape the future for them. In fact, the uncle of the suspects in the Boston bombings said they were "losers" who had trouble finding their way, getting settled, being productive and one of the young men wrote that he had "no American friends."

We can lock our doors, turn on our video cameras and security systems, but who are we trying to protect ourselves from? Children? Parents? The Poor? The Elderly? What's next? Will we soon be afraid to look in the mirror? 

Will we allow technology to change us, rule over us, make us shut-in's in our own homes? Or will we learn to harness it, use it, but also control our own urges to be constantly connected to our devices? Can we remember the importance of connecting with others in a real way?  

Sincerity, commitment, concern - these things can be misunderstood if we have any doubts or mistrust of others in our minds. We may believe the author is insincere, self-serving, or hiding something because we do not trust those whom we cannot see and do not know. Does this mean "local control" is the answer? What do we want to control if we do not feel in control of our own lives? Do we need more government to feel safe or is our government making us feel more afraid? Do they want us to be protected or do they simply want to ensure that we still believe we need them?

Our schools in DeKalb have struggled with the issue of placing cell towers next to children and homes. But, this is not the core of the problem. It did not have to be a cell tower that raised concerns here. It could be an unexplained amount of money missing from a budget, no signs of books when they've been bought and paid for, refusal to act when records are requested, refusal to return calls or emails when constituents are trying to reach the person whom they were told was elected to represent them, closed door meetings that go on day after day, a system that operates in a way that is not explained to the public, legislation that passes and is later retracted, media reports with inaccurate information or friends and families who suddenly move away without warning and without looking back or telling anyone how they managed to sell their home so fast. 

These are all things that have happened and while the issue of a giant cell tower can motivate people to get involved, the answers they seek can sometimes lead to more questions and more issues that need to be resolved before we can trust, move forward and have our faith restored. These are the things that have added to the unrest in our community. Little things can turn into big things when there is "no plan" for the future. It is made worse when you know that there is plan for some people that will help them get ahead, but you and the ones you love are not part of it.

We do not want to live in a reactionary world. We don't want our home values to suddenly surge any more than we want them to suddenly plummet. We don't want to leave our elderly parents and grandparents to fend for themselves just as much as they do not want to see their children and grandchildren struggle to find their place in the world. We do not want to live in a community that showcases how the rich have much when next door the poor have lost everything.

What happened to the neighborhoods where were were all doing okay? We all contribute and pay our taxes, so why are we not all getting the value back that we are expecting? Why are we making issues about ourselves instead of about those who are not as fortunate? 

When the world begins to operate in ways that are extreme, it tells us that something is wrong. We naturally resist change as a species, but when change comes at us fast we become even more concerned because we do not have time to adapt and change our own paradigm for viewing the world. How can we do right by our children when we do not understand the events going on around us any more than we know how to make the "right" choice among a sea of endless choices being offered?

If no one knows what is "right" then too many of us are bound to choose the option that is "wrong." And lately it seems there is trouble everywhere because no one understands how to determine the difference between right and wrong.  Everything is a matter for debate and speculation, interpretation and spin. 

Creating a system of trenches with further and further divides will only create problems that have no middle ground. With the events taking place in Boston, we are reminded of the friends we have made throughout the Northeast and hope they are safe. Many of the schools in Maryland have gone through the same struggles we have even though their demographics and economics and politics are completely different. When we talk about wanting what is right for the children here, we also want what is right for children everywhere.

At the end of the day, we are all people. Instead of focusing on our differences, we need to focus on the things that make us all the same. We all want what is best for our families. We want to feel safe. We want to be able to trust our leaders to do the right thing and our businesses to create jobs and contribute to our local economies. We want to reach out to others without losing our own identity in the process. We don't want to be labeled as "afraid" or "illogical" or "extreme."

Most people just want to be happy and to get along with others. To be safe and secure and enjoy their lives and their children. We all want to love and to be loved in return. We want a better future, but we never seem to find the time to sit down and plan a course for how we are going to get there.

If you do one thing today, take a moment to think about the families in Boston and what they are suffering. And consider the family of the young men who felt they had no other options in their own lives so that they were left at risk of being influenced by the wrong people. 

Make a resolution to yourself to take time to just sit quietly and think about the world we live in today. If we want it to be better, we have to do more than what we are doing right now. We can't just sit back and hope that our one vote will make a difference. Only when we act together will our voices make any real change for the better.

Note about the blog: In the 1970s, future shock was a huge issue. Theorists feared that technology was progressing so quickly that people would soon be unable to keep up or even cope. Today, Douglas Rushkoff, author of Present Shock and head of Code Literacy at Codecademy, argues that the future is here and what we’re faced with is present shock.