The emerging generation

There is an emergence of a whole new species of individuals that the world, not to talk of the church, hasn’t seen anything like. The emerging youth of today is totally different from any this earth (and the church) has ever seen before and the differences between this generation and the preceding one are as obvious as night and day.

We have a generation of youth whose language is different. They speak more slangs than they speak regular languages (and this doesn’t affect English language alone). Today’s youth is exposed to the internet. No need to “travel” to a cyber café to access the World Wide Web. It’s at his fingertips. Today’s youth has Google (I would have done anything to have a Google when I was 17!) Who’s not on Facebook today? I was at a private secondary school in Lagos sometime last week and even a JS1(basic 7, I think?) student knew who Mark Zuckerberg was and how old he was when he started Facebook.

Ever watched the music videos produced or directed by this generation? They are full of daring expressions; in lyrics, in exposing more (and more) skin, in musical fusions never before explored, just to mention a few. Today’s growing youth are also more tech-savvy than their predecessors. In my days (and I’m really not that old) if your family owned a colour TV, you would be entertaining the whole neighbourhood every evening, not to talk of weekends. If your dad then bought a VCR, ah ha! Ring any bells, ol’ schoolers? It’s another story today. A friend of mine, in his late 30s, was telling me how he couldn’t understand the Nintendo Wii he bought for his children but his 3 year old daughter operates the machine slickly and perfectly.

Dear friends, things have changed. No let me put that right; things are changing (because the changes haven’t ended and neither will they). I’d like to say that if the body of Christ refuses to upgrade its technology (our approach, stratagem, methods, etc.), we will become as obsolete as a typewriter to a 100 level student in University.

It is obvious that the principles we learnt and personal experiences of God we got in our growing years are the bedrock for the success (or failure) of our lives today as adults. We must find a way to transfer these timeless truths to the generation coming after us. Selah.


P.S. Watch out for part 2 tomorrow.