Adolescence

If the older generation truly knew the extent to which unsupervised access to the internet and social media has on younger kids and their perception of the world, there would be so much more regulations around it. I think it's safe to say that most people in my generation, Millenials and Gen Z are the first ones to grow up with the birth of the internet, and thus witnessed its vastness without any knowledge from the adults of the damages it can cause to us. I think that many of us, had seen the horrifying truth of social media and what it can do to you at such a young age. Children are grossly fascinated by the taboo. And the internet opens its arms to scratch your curiosity. But the thing is, provocative content is addicting. So you keep watching it. Not knowing that it is slowly warping you. Adults would always say, "oh staring at a screen so much! Youll have bad eyesight!" but that should have been the least of their concerns. I do not however, blame the parents, no. How could they have known? What I worry though, is the next generation. We are reaching to the post-capitalist stage of the world, and social media will keep growing and growing. All I can hope is that us, the generation who actually grew up knowing what all the "emojis" and the "redpill content" are to open our eyes and find ways we can help kids navigate through media literacy. In truth, Jamie is so young, he doesn't yet understand the consequences of what he has done. He does not, no, cannot understand how long life is. What's horrifying is that Jamie doesn't know he has ruined his life, and will spend the remainder punished. He probably has seen enough violnce on social media to know what it is. But he has only up until that point witnessed it through the internet, a fictitious, inconsequential place. The gravity of his actions will be beared by his family, forever cursed to live on knowing that their flesh and blood has committed the most heinous act.