Temperance in the digital age

WE need to tackle this big challenge of our time. How do

we live temperance in this very intoxicating and addicting world of

the social media and the digital gadgets today? We now are all too

familiar with the signs of addiction afflicting people, both young and

old.

            We know that these new technologies instantly produce in

us a tremendous amount of dopamine that is so difficult to manage, let

alone, resist. And these gadgets keep on coming, each time with an

improved version, with hardly any manual as to how to use them

ethically and prudently.

            These new technologies are so new and so irresistible that

we, even the old ones with a lot of experience in life, do not have

any sound and effective guideline as to how to use them properly. The

traditional guidelines do not seem to work well, and in some cases,

even tend to aggravate the problem.

            The only light that we can see at the end of the tunnel

seems to be that some professionals are studying this issue very

closely and are now starting to give out some guiding points, even if

only tentatively. Things, of course, are still very much in the

wait-and-see and trial-and-error stage. But let’s continue hoping and

working on this matter.

            Many of these experts are saying that it would be wrong if

we would just come out too strong in banning or restricting these

gadgets especially from the young ones who will always find a way to

get hold of these gadgets, thus producing another variety of anomalies

related to deception, cheating, hypocrisy and the like.

            Having absolute, restrictive and inflexible indications

are now all proven to be counterproductive. What seems to work better

is to have the soft, friendly approach where everyone, especially the

young ones, are closely accompanied and together find practical ways

of how to live temperance in the use of these gadgets.

            It’s a kind of mentoring and accompaniment that has to be

done. But this, of course, would require the necessary dispositions

and structures. Family life should be strengthened, for example, and

teacher-and-student and mentor-and-mentee relationship should be

marked by friendship and confidence.

            Everything has to be done to facilitate sincerity and

openness, especially among the young ones, always reassuring them that

they will always be understood and helped no matter what mistakes they

make. And the guides and mentors should try their best to be

competent.

            There obviously is need for some restrictions and

limitations, but these should be monitored closely to see if the they

are producing favourable results. Otherwise, we have to make some

revisions and adjustments.

            Yes, it’s a different ballgame this time on how to develop

temperance in this dizzying digital age. At the moment, we are still

grappling with the novelty of the phenomenon, but hopefully if we

persist with hope and practical sense, we can manage to come out with

guidelines that are effective.

            For one, we need to loosen up and try to re-evaluate the

traditional concepts and ways of developing and living temperance. Of

course, we should not junk the traditional ones altogether, but we

need to update them and to try exploring the innovative ones that in

the end should be an organic extension of the traditional.