Living in the material world has never been easy, especially finding a balance between the spiritual and material needs. While technology has made life easier on many fronts, there are many drawbacks as well. The truth is that many of our youngsters today have been overwhelmed by unlimited external temptations of the material world.

Youth is the time to learn, and learning has become so much easier in the ICT world that we live in today. Instead, undergraduates have been expelled for plagiarizing the work of others. For students, copying homework or assignments have never been easier.  

Their misdemeanor is facilitated by numerous devices and facilities available today – iPod, iPad, handphones, the internet, etc.   

“Nowadays, undergraduates have no fear of the consequences if they are caught copying. This is what we lecturers have to face year in year out, especially during examinations. 

"It is sad to see them being expelled," said Abbas Hasan, who has been a lecturer at a public university here for almost 25 years.
   
   
Times Have Changed and So Have Youths

Abbas related his observation of youth today compared with the youth of yesteryear.

“In those days, undergraduates would greet their lecturers when they crossed paths. That is now history. Modernity seems to have distanced humans from social norms, traditions and religion.

"Modernity has created a new and complex social structure with technology speeding up the changes in the mindset and the social specter," said Abbas , who read law in England in the 1970s.

Abbas recalled that during his undergraduate days in England, the people he got to know there showed great respect to one another, and it seemed to be their innate character.

“They were honest and emphasized strong bonds,” he said.  
 

Moral Lessons

It is undeniable that, the world today is becoming increasingly borderless and barriers are being eliminated in all aspects of life.  A civilized community has the knowledge of their predecessor's culture and traditions that helped shape the future.

Civilizations ave greatly contributed to human mental development and prepared people to face the challenges ahead. Thus, history serves as an important lesson for all. In Malaysia, history taught in schools – Pengajian Malaysia – exposes our youths to local and foreign civilizations.

Nonetheless, education starts at home, with parents playing the most important role and being the most influential teachers. Those who grow up in families that emphasize lose bonds are noted to have greater discipline and are tolerant of others.

However, can they maintain their good attributes when they reach adulthood?

 
Juvenile Crimes

Juvenile crime speaks volumes on the state of youngsters today. A magistrate from a northern state told the writer that juvenile crimes have increased sharply, and it is sad to note that the parents are very much to blame.   

"Parents themselves are involved in drugs, or jailed for criminal offences, and they are not good example for their children.

"Their living environment poses serious risk. Drugs have been the biggest menace in many of fishing neighborhoods,” observed this young magistrate.

Many troubled youngsters come from low-income families and many of their mothers were at home, yet they were not well taken care. Due to neglect, they resort to crime, with the most common undertaking for beginners being motorcycle theft or pilfering motorcycle parts to finance their daily activities.

For this learned magistrate, the solution not only lies in laws but also in religion.  

“I'm confident that religious tenets provide the long-term solution that also incorporates greater parental involvement. Additionally, there should be an organization to help mold them into better people," she said.
   

Patience Is a Virtue
   
Good character in a person can be achieved when one revisits moral, civics and religion, and reviews them constantly to stay relevant with the times. Patience, tolerance and the spirit of giving and sharing in communal living helps in building better character. And in building good character, education has an important role to play.

Former teacher N. Ali Imran, in concurring with this, however, noted that the present education system has its own flaws, especially when it is only focused on the number of As obtained in exams without striking a balance with home and the community.

"When the students' morality is not maintained, they are set to go downhill," explained Ali.

Those who patiently seek education not just for the sake of attaining professional status will experience meaningful success, he said. Honesty is the key for long lasting success, and a society defined by good character can definitely avoid numerous social woes and contribute to creating a civil society. Live with religious virtues, moral and civic consciousness, and learn from how our predecessors lived.


- Bernama