How Does Society Contribute to Loneliness?
Society has contributed to loneliness with the technology
of today. Television, DVD's, computers and video games have
all motivated people of all ages to stay indoors rather than
enhancing their physical and social abilities. Although technology
has come a long way and is beneficial in most cases, it has
hindered the physical, emotional and social well-being of
many individuals.
Because more and more families need two bread-winners just
to be able to live comfortably many children become "latchkey
children," left to their own resources for hours every
day. These children are usually told to go directly home after
school until their parents return from work. This further
hampers the development of social skills in children.
Education equips children for every day life in a world that
we, as grown-ups, no longer understand because the technological
and intellectual levels of teaching have changed. Children
now need different skills, often taught in a different way
from the way their parents learned, isolating the children
and parents from one another through differences in their
knowledge.
Loneliness can occur during any disruptions within the family
such as divorce, separation, moving to another town, the loss
of a close relationship and the dissatisfaction of an existing
relationship. Adapting to any changes may be hardest on the
children, because if there was a time in which they needed
anyone, it is now. Unfortunately, the parents do not seem
to have time to spend with the children as they are adjusting
to the change themselves.
Society has encouraged loneliness within many individuals
by the process of classifying people into groups on the basis
of common attributes; this process is known as social categorization.
For example, society assumes that a person who is attractive
also has desirable personality characteristics. This type
of bias is known as the "what is beautiful is good stereotype."
These stereotypes leave young adults with the feeling of rejection,
leading to loneliness, because they do not have what it takes
to be popular.
During adolescence the teenager is very self-conscious and
aware of how they are perceived by others. The media elaborates
on statements such as, "the thin look is in." This
leads the teenager to try and change into what they are not,
only satisfying the expectations of society.
Society often assumes that the relationship between the elderly
and being feeble are correlated. Many people often stereotype
the elderly as being unable to take care of themselves and
that they are a burden on society until they die. Some elderly
people assume that this is the way in which they are expected
to behave in society causing them to be depressed and lonely.
Through the years, adults just do not have time for their
parents anymore and so they place them in Nursing Homes to
be cared for by others. The sad thing is that many do not
return to visit with their parents.
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Author: Eric Choong
Please visit my website at: http://www.health-beauty-care.com
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