Lost Generation

“I said I'm living in a lost generation”

This article is inspired by two very different music videos; Lost Generation by Rizzle Kicks, and Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus. Despite being almost polar opposites, they both made me think about the same thing; what sort of world am I growing up into?

The world will never be perfect, I understand that, but it could be a damn sight better than it is right now.

The Rizzle Kicks song speculates about growing up in a generation where people’s lives are broadcast for anyone and everyone to see, with shows like Big Brother, Keeping up with the Kardashians and Jeremy Kyle becoming more and more popular, at other peoples expense. This is an issue in itself; we seem to be wasting our lives being obsessed with other peoples. It’s not a massive problem right now, but further down the line in 10, maybe 20 years’ time, will we be immersed 24/7 in everyone else’s daily qualms and  conflicts? I think it’s safe to say it’s a foregone conclusion.

And the Miley Cyrus thing? The video worries me deeply, for far too many reasons. I understand she is wanting to lose the Disney image, but she is setting seriously low standards for herself, and the realm of music videos. When someone else comes out with a video that is inappropriate and risqué, people will undoubtedly compare it to the Wrecking Ball video, and dismiss it as ‘okay’ because it’s ‘not as bad as that Wrecking Ball video’. I can really see that happening. For example, let’s say, someone like Rihanna releases a video featuring herself topless or something, that a few years ago would have be shocking and deemed deplorable, would be seen as tolerable, because there is a video prior to it that is far worse. See what I mean? It’s at this point that my mind turns to the innocent babies and toddlers that know oh so little about the increasingly disgraceful media. They will surely grow up believing flaunting themselves about is a done thing, and that there isn’t a problem with it?

I feel as though moral standards are dropping dangerously low with each passing day, and I wish there was something I could do about it. Whether it’s a crude music video, or a crass TV show, it’s almost like they’re brainwashing us into thinking they’re okay, they’re normal and they’re acceptable, when the majority of the time they are doing no good for ‘society’. I know times are changing, and we’re not going to sit around listening to BBC Radio 4 for the rest of eternity, but there must be better, more productive things to do with our time?

This was a rather rant-ish article, but I really couldn’t help it, as this has been bugging me for a while. I just think we should be more conscious of what we’re watching on a regular basis, and how it’s affecting us now, and how it will affect us later on in life, or in the next few generations.

Something to think/worry about, eh?