Lonely Millennials and the Internet

I read a Forbes article by Caroline Beaton. She points out that after Apple presented the world with its personal computer and after the advent of the World Wide Web, people became lonelier. Millennials are especially susceptible. I will not restate all of the points made in the article, but it is worth noting that the Internet has undeniably not made us more fulfilled, but quite the opposite. 

Caroline Beaton writes, "One reason the Internet makes us lonely is we attempt to substitute real relationships with online relationships. Though we temporarily feel better when we engage with others virtually, these connections tend to be superficial and ultimately dissatisfying."

Let's face it. What those of us who are older (I am 44) have known all along really is true. We feel pressured to adapt to an online environment for our social interaction because we seem like balking dinosaurs if we do not, but communicating with someone via a computer or tablet is not a good substitute for a real face-to-face encounter. Facebook is the cool thing to do, but it is not the best way to communicate. Caroline Beaton's article reveals social media's deficiencies.  

It is a shame that millennials are the ones most affected by the loneliness that is the byproduct of such persistently shallow communication. Because they are digital natives, many of them do not know that there is a much deeper, more satisfying option that creates lasting and more fulfilling relationships. 

Social media is convenient and it is cool. But we were created to be together, to sit together, to eat together, to talk together, to laugh together, to cry together. Maybe, one by one, we can begin to decrease our reliance on social media and start really caring about each other in meaningful ways. 

Going to the zoo, a fun museum, or park...together. 

Baking cookies...together. 

Playing a game...together.
Studying...together.
Praying...together.
Sharing funny stories...together. 

Taking a drive in the country...together. 

Going bike riding or kayaking...together. 

The possibilities are endless! And they promise to bond us to each other and diminish loneliness, particularly when what we do together keeps Jesus in the absolute center of our activities.

Of course, the best cure for loneliness is being filled with the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of God that we receive just as a group of Jewish believers first did in Jerusalem about 2,000 years ago as recorded in Acts chapter 2. This will ensure that you are never alone and, as you keep your relationship with Jesus fresh and alive through prayer and devotion to Him, you will not experience feelings of loneliness. 

Quotes from Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinebeaton/2017/02/09/why-millennials-are-lonely/#47c80f1a316b