The New Social Networks

Alienation: A withdrawing or separation of a person or a person’s affections from an object or position of former attachment.
Estrange, Alienate, Disaffect mean to cause one to break a bond of affection or loyalty. Estrange implies the development of indifference or hostility with consequent separation…
Merriam-Webster, m-w.com


The Baby Boom generation saw the end of American social cohesion and many became the first of the modern alienated citizenry. Forget the labels of good or bad for the moment and let’s consider that which can be observed. There should be nothing surprising for the observant and curious mind but I suspect there are some who might find this topic surprising.

Because each of us has a free will I will not moralize or politicize our alienation. The fact is that each of us was part of and accepted the turn of events that have led us to where we are today. While groups have capitalized on this turn of events for political or economic reasons they are a consequence, not the cause. We are left to deal with the consequences, the aftermath.

Until the 1960s America could generally be categorized as individuals tied to family, family tied to community, community tied to business, business tied to community, both community and business tied to nation. Family values and its ties to the family’s faith were important and churches provided a great deal of assistance to those in need of help in their communities. Businesses were proud members of the local Rotary Club, Lion’s Club and other organizations oriented to address and improve conditions within the community. It was not unheard of to see several generations of one family living within a short distance or in the same town. A child was typically raised by the mother who did not work or a grandparent; one wage-earner per household was the norm. “Made in America” was said with pride.

Then we experienced the economic boom of the 1960s and the push for maximum individual liberty. While stereotypically tied to the “hippie movement” it may have had its seeds cast during World War II. Women became part of the war effort and tasted a large measure of social and economic independence. For many it may have been disappointing to have been relegated to raising children in suburbia, divorced from the excitement of the workplace. I’ll leave it to you to assess how much of their discontent rubbed off on the rebel generation of the 1950s. Women who did not return to the home became part of the movement to “liberate women” in a man’s world.

Economic, social, political, technological and theological changes spurred America’s Baby Boomers forward and shaped their collective conscience. The market catered to this first younger generation with disposable income and the social revolution of peace n’ love took hold. The divorce rate doubled by the 1970s and the quest for individual satisfaction began in earnest. The Beatles famous song “All You Need Is Love” comes to mind as an expression of this growing American phenomenon. Eastern philosophies and the new skepticism of all that was “old” led to the famous cover of Time Magazine to headline “Is God Dead?” on April 8, 1966. The politics of war were spurned and the politicians seemingly lost their credibility and reputable standing on the national stage. This younger generation did not need to study the past; they instinctively felt they had all the right answers. The problem was that they disconnected from politics and left public service in the hands of those who failed to understand the term “public service”.


“Self-indulgence, or self-aggrandizement, can only bring confusion – whether it be in the spiritual, mental or physical self.”
Anonymous, 589-4


But the study of history and social studies was still required in our changing school systems. A bibliographic study conducted by the author in the early 1980s demonstrated that as of 1965 most political or social studies books published had a left-of-center bias. Another aspect of this study showed that most quotations in these books were from secondary sources and most of those misrepresented the original source. The race was on to discover a new truth and package it for this new generation. In the process college professors discovered that skewed research and spurious links between data groups allowed them to develop what appeared as new “evidence”. It failed the students but was great for their “publish or perish” contracts.

Another discovery was the “pass-fail” grading given by professors who would not take the time to assess an individual’s mastery and command of the subject matter. Or was it the beginnings of anointed self-esteem? No losers there; nobody just a bit better or much better than the next. Foreign language requirements began to vanish, the push for the sciences diminished, and the quest for more paying students led to lowered standards in all but a few institutions. It wasn’t long before high schools, in their quest for gravitas, imitated the universities. The bonus was that the sons and daughters of Baby Boomers would be denied a well grounded education. Instead of being taught critical thinking, these young victims were merely provided with the “correct” answers (i.e., correct meaning politically correct). Hair came in all sizes and colors, dress codes were unenforceable, and the Baby Boomer’s children thought they were cool, independent and self-sufficient. A sense of individuality gave way to the importance of the designer label on their clothing. Opinions became their truth and that truth could not be challenged with the facts.

The Baby Boomers appear not to have matured. Their children grew up in private rooms with their own TV, stereo and cell phone, and thought they were independent and not subject to restraint. The system told them they were okay and that if they failed it must be the system, not them. In this world of no losers there can be no winners either. High school graduates who could not research and write an original paper were entering any of thousands of new colleges; the new industry of the banal was born. The stage was set for the future and the future is now.


“Unless a man has the talents to make something of himself, freedom is an irksome burden.”
Eric Hoffer, The True Believer


Regardless of the reasons why we must acknowledge that which has changed in the last half-century. Children began to grow up in single-parent homes, they were not raised actively in any faith, typically discipline was non-existent, parental involvement in schools waned, and the only winners were society’s gladiators, the professional athletes. The spiritual gave way to the material, businesses abandoned communities, and manufacturing abandoned the nation. Both parents felt the need to work for a lifestyle that did little to benefit their children.

Technology introduced changes as well. Gone were the days where the “good guys” won; criminals, gangs and mass murderers commanded center stage. Movies linked sex and violence toward women and women stopped screaming for equal rights. Art and music sank into a dark age of mediocrity and its lyrics ranted against anything and everybody. R & B, rap, punk and other derivative genres embraced the culture of depravity. Murder, brutality, denigration of women, and the importance of bling over substance had youth embracing the basest of cultural values and social norms. Tweeter, cell phones, email, and the social networks created the new community. The alienated American could now connect and be part of something beyond himself – at last.


“Man’s answer to everything has been Power – Power of money, Power of position, Power of wealth, Power of this, that or the other.”
Anonymous, 3976-8


What comes to mind? “Wall Street” with Michael Douglas where he exclaims, “Greed is good!” Young minds are exposed to material they cannot process beyond an emotional level. Cinematic icons contribute to the cultural meltdown in the name of artistic freedom. The criminal’s actions are not as important as the (wrong) decisions or life experience that got him there. Government and military cinematic characters flaunt the law and civil liberties in the name of some notional greater good. Movie characters never seem to work for a living and live lavishly beyond the character’s professional salary potential. Unskilled young minds rely on writers of movie scripts, comedy shows, and cartoons for information and answers. Michael Moore was able to ply hearsay and innuendo as facts to most Baby Boomers and their children. The dichotomies abound in our flow of information and augur the return to the darker age of centuries past.

Today we can appreciate that the family network is fractured. Communities are filled with transient populations and most of us don’t know our neighbors. Knock on a door and, for any number of reasons, it goes unopened. We walk through any of our favorite stores and people walk by staring into space, talking out loud as if talking to themselves. We walk past each other as if one was just a prop in the other’s stage play called reality. Most of us are the ones who look to the social networks to fill the void. After all, we are social animals.

So we have the alienated individual who does not live near family. The community he or she is in is temporary; a promotion or new job will certainly take them elsewhere soon. Competing demands make church attendance non-existent or, at best, optional. Family is scattered and would require a significant investment in time and money for a reunion; many do not bother. Email, cyber video, and social networks allow us to believe we’re in touch. A comment, a photo, a funny remark (but nothing negative that would affect someone’s self-esteem) is all that is needed for the illusion to be complete. The recent movie, The Social Network, is brilliantly executed and adequately represents the new reality. We have created our virtual communities through which many “socialize”.

In the credits, Face Book is supposed to be valued at $25 Billion dollars (US). Why would you think? The answer is that it harnesses a large population where “word of mouth” is exponential. One person posts and all friends and possibly friends of friends see the intended comment or suggestion. It is a marketer’s dream come true. The electronic, politically correct community has been designed and it is exactly what the Baby Boomers and their children needed. External validation at the click of a button; plenty of happy or sad faces in response as needed – the end of emotional commitment on anyone’s part. The process is simple, uncomplicated and emotionally non-committal.

By now those of you that have read other of my posts expect my predictions of gloom. Face Book as the anti-christ or tool of those bent on global domination and the enslavement of mankind. Yes, I could make many powerful arguments but I’ll let it rest under the protection of the First Amendment. It’s not the point here.

Regardless of the many arguments against the growing virtual environment, it is the better choice. Compared to growing alienation of individuals in America with no recourse to each other I prefer the “telegram-style” contact through the social networks. There are dangers to be sure and we are initially seeing how the medium steers individuals into groups. Some groups will eventually become divisive when confronted with other groups in their real (non-virtual) lives. Online I can get along with anybody but it is not so easy in real life. Sometimes to get along we have to hold each other to a standard where both our freedoms are protected. Often that requires taking an opposing side and someone must therefore face disagreement. The first reaction is too often and sadly ‘how many agree with me?’ and not whose argument has merit based on the facts and what is fair and right. Of course you and I may never agree and that is why we have the courts. Of course judges may disagree but that is why we have appellate courts. Of course appellate courts may disagree and that is why we have the Supreme Court and that court is the court of last resort. Why? Because its Justices sit and adjudicate according to and in a manner that protects and supports the Constitution of the United States.

President Obama’s campaign in 2008 deserves credit for being the first to fully utilize social networks and other electronic media to reach out to a younger demographic. President Hu Jintau, the new President of the People’s Republic of China may also have plans for this new media. As millions of individuals around the globe connect at home and abroad, we enjoy a moment previously unseen in recorded history.

We are in a position to share our thoughts on what is correct and acceptable. In my Army career I can attest that the desire for individual liberty is universal on our planet. Most of us, regardless of politics, want clean water and food that is not contaminated. As human beings we can agree to higher ideals that eliminate dictatorships and the purveyors of human suffering. Each of us can observe nature and relish in its beauty, its complexity, and its perfection. We can relate to the notion that we are part of something bigger. To be effective, however, we must not be duped. We must separate the wheat from its chaff, the lies from truth, what’s right from what is wrong, and we must understand that one way or the other we are all connected.

I would simply ask myself and you, as Americans, are we living up to our potential in the most free nation on the planet? Regardless of point of view, history shows us that nations, like individuals, that turn away from what is just pay a price. That price is political rejection by its people and internal weaknesses that most often destroy empires.

There are some initial steps that can be taken by each of us. Step one is to live responsibly and within our means; that includes you, me and our State and Federal Governments. Step two, we should embrace our non-virtual community as well. Say hello to someone in the supermarket this week. Step three, list the things that you cannot buy or rent but that are important to you. Lastly, list those persons who in one way or another you depend upon and those who depend on you.

In the end, it is all of us as Americans who will brave our new world. President Hu Jintau is here to tell our President how he wants that new world to be. That world puts the US in second place, at best. I think it is time we quit worrying about the small stuff and focus on the big question: What if our economy and that of the world collapses?

Buy only what you need. If it is made here, buy it here. If it should be made here, start a business and make it here. Start local.

Oh!! I’m the author and I cannot resist. Avoid “Made in China”; check the labels and buy USA whenever possible. I’m outta here, got to check facebook.