In this second instalment, I will explore certain trends in our society which impact the young, of which they should be extremely careful.

The first relates to the pressing and depressing problem of addiction to life-depleting substances. This concern is not new, but it seems that in recent times the use of mind-altering substances is becoming a worrying trend among our youth. It is often said that young people tend to consider themselves invincible and believe they have time to correct many of the ills of youthful indulgence.

Nothing could be further from the truth. The truth is that although these indulgences might not be thought of in terms of the very serious injury they can do to one’s health, studies and medical evidence suggest that they can have deleterious effects on the mind and body, even in their early use. It is true that the impact of addictive substances, such as hard drugs, marijuana, and even alcohol, may not show up early in your life, but continued abuse of these substances lay the groundwork for misery at a later stage.

There is a price to be paid. Medical studies and the experience of sufferers, have borne out over time that a lot of illness — diabetes, hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, liver problems, and various cancers — is the result of the pernicious use of these life-altering substances.

The abuse of alcohol is one of the biggest culprits here. It is almost a cultural imperative in the Jamaican psyche. Alcohol consumption is considered essential to the socialising habits of adults, and for many, it is medicine for various ills. The surgeon general of the United Sates has declared that even small amounts of alcohol can increase the risk of cancer and constitutes the third-leading cause of death from cancer in the United States.

Will Jamaicans stop drinking alcohol anytime soon? Certainly not, but one would urge moderation. There is a disturbing trend in the use of alcohol among the young in Jamaica that should cause the health authorities to be concerned. As an elder looking on, this reality is to be bemoaned. The bottom line is that excessive alcohol use can have a debilitating effect on a person’s life. Again, one would urge moderation, and, more importantly, giving up the habit, and certainly not starting if you have not imbibed before. There are many youngsters who abstain.

Finally, on this point, substance abuse-related diseases tend to show up in people over 60 years old. They can show up earlier depending on the level of abuse. Persistent use from an early age certainly puts you at risk. It is very distressing that it is at the point when you have retired and want to enjoy the benefits of your labour that you have to be dealing with chronic illnesses that may very well lead to death and which could have been prevented. A word to the wise is sufficient.

The second trend and caution relate to the moral relativism in the society coupled with a lack of fidelity to the truth. Immediately, the use of the Internet and artificial intelligence (AI) technology comes to mind. As an elder who is not a dunce when it comes to these technologies, one of the things that I would advise young people about is to make wise use of the technology that is available for their own personal development. They should not abuse the privilege that these technologies present or allow them to become mere ends in themselves, which can rob them of their humanity.

They should never lose sight of the fact that the Internet, however powerful, is just a tool. Any tool can be abused and repurposed for uses that were not intended. A fork is a tool that is used to till soil, but it can also be used as a javelin to harm and even kill others. No manufacturer of a fork will ever tell you that the latter is the purpose for the forks they make. So too the Internet. Young people should resist the temptation of using the Internet to demean others or allow it to drain them of their humanity. Used in this way, it diminishes and dehumanises us.

And one of the ways in which it diminishes us is in the area of fidelity to truth telling. For many, the Internet has become a conduit for telling lies, demeaning an opponent, or tarnishing the character of individuals with whom one disagrees. It is a fundamental moral question which speaks to the essence of who we are as people. But for some people it would appear that there are things of which their conscience is not afraid, no self-regulating principle that can act as a check and balance against the yearnings of their primitive dispositions. Here, older members of the society are not without blame, for often young people can see no frame of reference for good behaviour when they observe many of the elderly in our society. This, however, should not prevent a person from developing his or her own internal locus of self-discipline and self-respect.

Third, young people must become more engaged in the decision-making that can affect their lives for good. Notice I did not say they should all become politicians. There are many other ways in which the young can and must influence the society, if even for their own productive future. One of the areas in which they must become more engaged is that of climate change. The heating of the planet is not one of those things that keeps young people up at night. Yet it is one of the most serious threats — one would say it is an existential threat — of our time.

Reputable scientific studies have established that climate change has gone far beyond the theoretical. Scientists postulate 1.5 degrees centigrade to be the tipping point, or point of no return, for liveable life on this planet. It is estimated that we are now at 1.32 degrees. Up to 2.00 degrees may be liveable, but with great distress for the inhabitants of the planet. Even our own experiences tell us that each year gets hotter than the previous one. Could we be reaching that feared tipping point? At the very least, what are we doing to mitigate the factors that are leading to this increasing heating of the planet.

These are concerns that young people cannot afford to be mere spectators of. I am often flabbergasted at the scant regard young people have for this important subject. They discuss myriad subjects on social media but hardly, if ever, is there any mention of climate change. They sit back and allow the old to be elected to office, who often show no concern or do not believe in the science relating to climate change. They cannot afford to withdraw themselves from the political process, they must be willing, if even by their votes, to make a difference. civic, personal responsibility demands this.

Dr Raulston Nembhard is a priest, social commentator, and author of the books Finding Peace in the Midst of Life’s Storms; Your Self-esteem Guide to a Better Life; and Beyond Petulance: Republican Politics and the Future of America. He hosts a podcast — Mango Tree Dialogues — on his YouTube channel. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or stead6655@aol.com.

Raulston Nembhard