Gen Z - beware! “We are Borg: you will be assimilated; resistance is futile.”

 This line from Star Trek Voyager was first aired in the late 1990’s. As the television episodes aired, the Borg were described as a species of humanoids that were cybernetically connected to each other and the central network via electronic implants. They were thus almost organic robots, although the series showed that they retained some degree of autonomy. Their overarching ethos was that they acted in accordance with moment by moment direction from this collective brain, and thus would be able to defeat any other species that had individual members not so connected.

 This paradigm aired while the internet was still in its infancy, approximately ten years before the “smart phone” was invented. Curiously, it also was right at the milestone marking the beginning of Gen Z birth years.

 In the present day, in a large part of the world, young people feel lost if they do not have their smart phone with them. This is manifested as a loss of direction, boredom, isolation. Although the internet does not provide moment by moment direction on what to say or do, it provides advice from innumerable pundits, connectivity for conversation with friends, and entertainment. We haven’t yet arrived at the Borg collective state. What is most troubling is the epidemic of mental illness and social dysfunction. Whether it is depression, a shooting spree, or hatred spewed in “social media”, continuous connectivity with internet-based platforms enables and often promotes anti-social mindsets and behaviors.

A key part of life first disappeared with radio and television. Once upon a time, silence was a common occurrence for people who were alone. This made it possible for prayer to connect to God, and easier to hear His voice. Radio & TV banished silence, but it is the smartphone and social media that now offers as a surrogate for connecting to God, continuous connection to the hive. Of course, there is an infinite difference between the experience of the presence of an infinite, transcendent God, and hearing the consensus of a large number of humans of limited intelligence and varying degrees of dubious amoral self-righteousness. If they can consense on anything.

These technological capabilities are here to stay. How can society cope with them to stabilize behaviors and live with them?

What most of humankind experienced in history during solitude and quiet was a tension between hearing God’s voice (and then having to decide whether or not to heed it), or occupying themselves (mind, will, emotions) with things of the world, the flesh, and/or the devil. This produced both Mother Teresa and Adolf Hitler. The challenge to adolescents is harder than previous generations, which “merely” had to choose to listen for God’s voice, and then recognize (discern) it. Gen Z, defined by children growing up with “smart phones”, now has to deal with an insidious surrogate in which the postings of friends or influencers are enhanced with a dopamine boost. This is a stronger influence to the flesh than the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit. (It is possible that influencers could be godly encouragers, such as Robert Barron or David Guzik, but they are far less stimulating to the flesh than the latest TikTok craze.) Adolescence is a phase in life during which external stimulation produces a growing visceral response as the body and mind mature into adulthood. The difference in degree between Gen Z stimuli and previous generations is so great that it differs in kind.

 How can we help adolescents cope with this insidious plague of social media?

·         First and foremost, to explain it to them. Teens are young adults, and twenty-somethings should not be allowed a prolonged excuse for irresponsibility. Teens have adult-level reasoning capability, although not the breadth or depth of experience of older compatriots. They can understand this intellectually.

·         Secondly, it is necessary to motivate young people to choose to not become Borg. The promises of Christ are amazing but they are mostly of service in this life, with rewards deferred to eternal bliss with Him. The motivation is meaningful life and a spiritual connection to God Himself. This is not nirvana, but purposeful activity that does not include slavery to social media. In our heart of hearts, we secretly want a meaningful life, but our carnal weaknesses war against it.

It seems doubtful that any program of government or educational or religious rules or practices can win this war. The battle must be waged on an individual basis by those closest.