OUR thoughts shape our reality. Our thoughts stem from the choices we make, including what we read, watch and what we follow. Having a constructive mindset helps us achieve our life goals. Conversely, self-destructive thinking diminishes our vitality and undermines our purpose. Young people need to have constructive thoughts. The days, hours and seconds of your youth are irreplaceable. Social media’s growth has globally connected communities, but it has also negatively impacted youth focus and concentration. It’s the biggest distraction for young people. The demand for videos lacking substance reflects the state of our reality. Family vlogs are a detrimental influence on the minds of our generation. Likewise, TikTok videos hinder the youth’s ability to participate in the nation’s progress.
The popularity of family-focused vlogs and content reflects the choices of young people, with creators garnering millions of subscribers. The principle that individuals follow the paths their minds choose is clearly illustrated by this context. Time-wasting and life-distorting content is leading young people down a path of self-destruction. Every young person has the potential to alter their future if allowed to recognize their capabilities. A clear vision is a harbinger of success in life. Pakistani youth are having their potential and life goals undermined by degrading social media content. The youth’s distraction-filled lives prevent their development, leading to national decline across social, political and economic spheres. Many young people see social media family vloggers and TikTok influencers as role models.
Pakistan’s path to development hinges on its youth adopting a progressive mindset, eliminating distractions and developing clear visions for a prosperous future. The nation’s education system is failing and social media’s negative influence worsens the problem, hindering young people’s progress. Our youth unfortunately views these valueless vlogs and blogs as entertainment, following creators who post worthless content. In essence, this is a type of addition that acts as a poison destroying the futures of young people. The vloggers and bloggers who create these videos waste young people’s time under the guise of entertainment, thereby contributing to societal decline. Shockingly, subsequent governments failed to address this issue, sometimes even promoting these vloggers and influencers as youth leaders.
Governments must prioritize safeguarding the young from moral decay. Civil society also bears responsibility, as societal collapse is apparent and nobody challenges those rendering youth incapable of dignified lives. Without young people’s leadership in social, political and economic spheres, society cannot advance. Removing unwanted, undesired content and worthless context from social media will make Pakistan’s growth a reality. Youth, with focus and direction, can spearhead educational progress regardless of government investment. Prosperity is found by those with vision. A clear vision and growth mindset empower anyone to develop the skills for a successful life. Social media’s global reach democratizes access to modern education in today’s interconnected world.
The problem is that family vloggers and TikTok’s empty content have skewed young people’s tastes, leading them to reject richer video content. Such low-value content has deprived young people of political wisdom, enabling politicians to control the masses and preventing young leaders from emerging. Society, too, is nearing its end. We are a consumption-driven society, lacking the quality products and content needed for global market success. Vloggers and Tik-Tokers are increasingly shaping our society and influencing people as role models. Social media content influences people’s thoughts and alters societies, either positively or negatively. Young people’s unawareness leads them into the trap of such videos, wasting their time on useless content creators.
The country’s slow progress in recent years is due to the limited intellectual capacity of our young people. Developed nations’ dominance stems from harnessing the growth potential of their youth. Social media in developed countries highlights self-improvement, goal-oriented living and time management for youth. Consequently, developed societies have yielded scientists, innovators and entrepreneurs. Western social media influencers have spurred societal growth. The combination of advanced technology and minimal distractions has enabled developed nations to lead in technological, social and political advancement. In the contemporary era, nations’ dominance is affected by their ability to think critically, which is being diminished by the distractions of social media. The part played by creators of worthless content is obvious here. They are responsible for the ruin of the nation. This scenario paints a gloomy picture of Pakistan’s future. Rapid technological advancements are enabling developed nations to dominate the globe. For Pakistan to thrive in today’s world, its young people must be competitive globally.
Family vlogs and pointless TikTok videos are turning young people into passive consumers of social media, hindering their potential for achieving growth. We need to regulate social media to promote content that fosters intellectual growth. Vloggers and Tik-Tokers who post this type of content should be prohibited from doing so. To discourage viewing of non-enriching content, media channels should raise awareness. Young people need media literacy education as part of their schooling. By increasing awareness of the importance of time and youth and consuming appropriate content to succeed in today’s world, we can effectively deter content creators from producing such videos.
To avoid wasting their best years on social media, young people need direction from both society and the government. Pakistani youth, with clear direction and focus, can improve Pakistan’s standing in social, political and economic spheres. Our youth deserve a brighter future and we must protect them from harmful addictive content. Pakistani youth will remain distracted and unproductive without constructive intervention, hindering their personal and national development, with social media misuse being a major factor.
—The writer is an educationist and a Commoner from 44th Common, based in Sargodha.
