Remember the Korean millennial
couple who became so obsessed
with raising a virtual baby in an online
game that their real human daughter
was neglected to the point of starving
to death? [1] South Korean Lee Young-
ho’s StarCraft gaming career so
damaged and deformed his muscles
an operation was the only way to
save his arm. He is now left with a
scar half an inch wide, stretching
from just above the elbow and up
over his shoulder. [2] His physical scar
however, cannot be compared with
the emotional and social scars of the
untold millions of millennials who are
addicted to their digital lightbox be it
a phone, computer or anything else
in between.
Who are Millennials?
The term Millennials is usually
considered to apply to individuals
who reached adulthood around the
turn of the 21st century. The precise
delineation varies from one source
to another, however. Neil Howe and
William Strauss, authors of the 1991
book Generations: The History of
America’s Future, 1584 to 2069,
are often credited with coining the
term. Howe and Strauss define the
Millennial cohort as consisting of
individuals born between 1982 and
2004.
Overall, the earliest proposed birth
date for Millennials is 1976 and the
latest 2004. Given that a familial
generation in developed nations lies
somewhere between 25 and 30 years,
we might reasonably consider those
the start and end points.
have become willing slaves and we
are being walked by the proverbial
dog, in this case machines and our
technology is leading us rather than
being used by us, we are addicts of
our own products.
There is a great deal of variation from
one individual to another within any
generational cohort. Nevertheless,
the particular environment for any
generation affects those individuals
in ways that are observable as broad Religious Dopers
tendencies.
If you are a born again believer you
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/ are probably saying, “well I’ve Got
millennials-millennial-generation
Jesus in my life, this has nothing to
do with me” but this phenomena is
‘Doped Up’ Millennial Culture
The Beijing 2008 Olympics was prevalent even in the Church, which
hosted under the theme ‘faster, has now become a money powered
higher, longer, stronger’ and it was enterprise that bankrolls, a worship
so inspiring at the time I thought, production that is now a dopamine
“yeah let’s go for it, raise the bars and dependent activity rather than a Spirit
push beyond present boundaries.” lead experience. Church meetings are
Yet, there is still something about orchestrated highs. All the man-made
the mind-set of this generation of trappings of media, marketing and
millennials that is bugging me. It’s sensual stimulation are subliminally
that they are obsessed with results orchestrated to put attendants into
and not the process, the product not a dopamine high, where they get
the person, they have no concept hooked and want more. Without the
of grafting towards a desired end, sensual stimulus of the technology
they are the slaves of instantaneous around us we don’t seem to be
gratification. Waiting is an irritation able to function. God help us if the
rather than a natural part of life. internet is down or the electricity goes
Today, the millennials are “dope” during Church, what would we do?
addicts yes, they are all high on Once the meeting is over, we leave
dopamine a chemical in the brain spiritually and emotionally, empty; no
that is released when we experience change, deliverance, healing, revival
gratification and we are chasing of souls or transformation of mind.
that high through every click of the All these things are supposed to be
mouse. Research shows that this is the commonplace in Christian communal
basis for addiction to video games, worship. Yet, we leave as the same
mobile apps, gadgets, social media degenerated lot that walked in,
like, Facebook and Instagram, just to bopping and bouncing into the car
name a few. We need that high that parks. We remain on this high until
results from a dopamine release. We the drug wears off, but not to worry,
are naturally high on ourselves, we we will be back for more next Sunday.
p
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/mar/05/korean-girl-starved-online-game
[2] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-32996009
October - December 2017
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