Alienation in the 21st Century Is Rife

Alienation in the 21st century is rife. Discuss

For | Against | Social networking sites such as facebook, MSN etcSocial networking sites have a profound ability to easily exclude people by specifically targeting certain groups within a community or society. People can at times feel left out or easily targeted when others make unnecessary comments and many friendships or relationships can deteriorate as a result of the great influence it has on people’s social lives. People are also losing basic social skills as a result, and are becoming heavily reliant on the simple services provided by the internet to communicate basic messages. People are also lacking sympathy and empathy, slowly becoming more and more self- absorbed. This is also reiterated through the rise of commercial happiness (found through materialistic objects)Cultural alienation Alienation between people of different cultures can lead to terrorism, racial and cultural prejudice and pre-determined assumptions and stereotypes of a particular ethnic group. People can also form groups in a community which, although may bring some together, can alienate people who don’t belong to a particular culture or ethnicity.Alienation between generations Newer generations and older generations differ greatly from one another in many ways including language, values and societal morals. As a result many people may feel alienated when communicating or interacting with other people. Eg: baby boomers vs. generation YAlienation by languageAustralian colloquialism and vernacular can often exclude and alienate people of different ethnic backgrounds. Language used within different suburbs, states and age groups can alienate people. (eg: eshayz, tomozza)Religious alienationAlienation among people of different religious beliefs can lead to terrorism, prejudice, violence and feelings of exclusion. Religious gatherings such as youth groups at institutions like churches can lead to people feeling alienated. | MulticulturalismAwareness and acceptance of other cultures is more apparent within our own society, cultural relativism (not judging another culture by the standards of your own). The integration of cultures within our society through holidays, festivals, art, language, music, film, entertainment, etc has an immense impact on the community as a whole.Social networking sites such as facebook, MSN etcSocial networking sites can also bring people closer together in the way that everybody is connected to another person somehow. It is, in a sense, a virtual community. -------------------------------------------------
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Different social classes/ statusPeople of different social classes can often be prejudiced and discriminated against which can often lead to changing values and treatment among people. FamilyDue to the prominence of work and technology, family life is often strained and relationships between members can be challenged and constricted. There is no longer a sense of belonging in families and not many people feel ‘together’ as a result. Instead technological objects seem to be consistent within family life and many seem connected to these as opposed to their fellow family members. This is largely due to the shifting times in our community. |