Mike Smith is a regular columnist for VTDigger. He hosts the radio program “Open Mike with Mike Smith” on WDEV 550 AM and 96.1, 96.5, 98.3 and 101.9 FM and is a political analyst for WCAX-TV and WVMT radio. He was the secretary of administration and secretary of human services under former Gov. Jim Douglas.
[P]arents, teachers, mentors and others who touch the lives of our teens and young adults try to instill certain qualities meant to help them succeed as they transition into adulthood. These attributes include such things as honesty, respect, humility, persistence and hard work. These are the keys to success, we often tell our children. But then they are confronted with another path to success, and that path is much different from what we have preached to them.
Being relevant and successful in today’s social media-driven world is often achieved in a perverse way.
Increasingly, our success is measured by how many social media mentions and sound bites we can land. It’s not about ideas or analysis or even talent, it’s all about attention. The more self-generated attention you get, the more “relevant” you are to the media and others. What becomes perverse about all this is that the more aggressive and outrageous you are, the more it benefits you.
Also, there seems to be an innate delight – and perhaps a modern media-driven necessity – that enhancement of one’s personal, professional or political standing must come at the expense of others.
The once-coveted arena where people sought to exchange and debate diverse ideas is being replaced by a virtual coliseum where it’s become sport to watch people deliver words and act in ways that are meant to maim or destroy those with contrary opinions.
In this social media-driven world, little is produced other than controversy; problems are left unsolved because to solve them would reduce one’s relevance; and true talent is diminished because the only talent that is important is the ability to draw attention to oneself. Soon, attention becomes addictive for some, and the more that is given the more is wanted.
As a result, national journalists as well as political and sports commentators would rather be in the news with what they say, and how they say it, than report news or analyze events. Politicians want to control the news by destroying any opposition to their version of the truth. And reality TV stars, desperate to preserve their relevance, must shock us with their comments or behavior. Unfortunately, these are the role models who are having an increased influence over our children.
Eventually, if these actions are left unchecked, there becomes a belief that there are no boundaries restricting our behavior or discourse in the pursuit of success. Winning, regardless of the standard it sets and example it provides, is paramount. Obtaining the objective is far more important than how you get there.
Our teens and young adults are becoming witnesses to a world that is less about compassion, humility and truth and more about self-aggrandizement at all costs.
These are the two worlds that confront our youth. The one we hope they pursue, which focuses on others and is outward-looking; and the one that is driven by out-of-control media personalities, politicians and entertainment stars who focus on themselves, and is inward-looking.
The path our teens and young adults choose is likely to have a profound impact on the future direction of this country. Will they relish the opportunity to exploit others for their own gain and as a result further divide this country, or will they seek the qualities that tend to unite?
Our future as a country and our legacy as parents and mentors will depend on how well we instill these uniting qualities in our children. It matters what we tell them and how we guide them to meet future challenges.
