Social Challenges of modern age!

11:53 AM Jun, 25 2015
Sudanese Online
محمد التجاني عمر قش-
My Library at SudaneseOnline



Social Challenges of modern age!
Mohamed Tigani Omer Gush
Modern life has brought about challenges of various types, including, inter alia, upheaval in social relations as people no longer feel that they belong together. Modern societies are encountering many serious problems, the most alarming of which is the crisis of faith and values. So, it is not surprising to find yourself in a strange situation, not with your family and friends, but in a melancholy place like a person stranded in the desert. You may be sitting with people you do not know, speaking different languages and, of course, unaware why they are in that place and situation! This is, however, likely to happen to people, displaced by wars and crises, who may unjustifiably be striving just to stay alive such as the case in many countries in the region. Nevertheless, you may also experience such a situation emotionally, particularly when you live in a merciless society where nobody cares for you or makes you feel that you are a human being! As far as I know, this is becoming quite common with the unprecedented spread of modern life styles which create severe challenges and inconvenient choices for people everywhere. Man is now worried about being replaced by machines and losing his job! Moreover, relatives no longer live in extended families but rather in separated compartments under the pretext of privacy. Just two days ago, I read a very sad story about a newly married man who took his father to a nursing home so that he might enjoy his honeymoon. Also, we frequently hear of young people who elope in order to get married, without parental consent. In the past, especially in conservative societies where such behavior was only next to blasphemy. The main cause for most of modern ethical challenges lies in the morbidity of the spiritual principles. Therefore, all the efforts in the struggle with these emerging problems should first of all have the nature of spiritual healing. Unfortunately, the public do not understand the sources of the illness suffered by the modern society which is losing the last moral principles of life. Particularly unusual is the fact that almost nothing is being practically done in society to oppose these challenges. Some people believe that these problems are due to economic reasons as life is now more demanding and the living cost is becoming increasingly expensive. Many families, across the globe, have economic difficulties and they are having problems to feed their children and to offer them good education. This might be true although it is not sufficient cause for the appalling social disintegration which is now witnessed everywhere in the world. On the other hand, the media blames governments and social institutions for not giving due care and attention to this phenomena. Meanwhile, non-government organizations, concerned with these challenges, complain that they do not get enough assistance and aid to confront these problems. Nonetheless, something must be done to address this catastrophe. In my opinion, schools have an effective role to play by providing young generations with sound spiritual and moral teachings to build upon when they confront the atrocity of these challenges later on when they get into real social situations. Indeed, the media is expected to increase public awareness of these challenges in such a manner as to propose reasonable approaches to tackle these problems through debate and well designed programs. Eventually, the society has “to take the cow by the horns” or to engage in cultural and social functions with the aim of resorting social integrity which is the most important safeguard against the challenges which threaten our societies.