The Human Beast

It's definitely clear that just as took place during the 60's, we have generational, social and cultural shifts taking place which are shaping and changing the perceptions of young people. I myself will be 19 in a month...interestingly, I find that a lot of the current flavor in areas such as fashion, music, photography, television, movies and just about any area of personal expression seems almost to be "returning to" the 60's and 70's. Mimicking it, in a way. But that's just me.

Additionally, and I can *only* speak for myself here, I know in cases of grittier, coarser sensibilities/tastes/interests, the "shock factor" has nothing to do with my enjoyment of these subjects. It has nothing to do with how revolted or exhilarated or empowered things like that might make me feel - the emotional state when seeing a movie like The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (which I'm sure people of all ages could use words like lurid, depraved, detestable, sleazy and vile to describe; I enjoyed the movie greatly, but I can't honestly say it isn't horrific in those ways. It is. As with the books, it's an extremely morose and foul story at parts.) is no different than the fleeting sense of excitement when someone jumps in a horror film. No different than the horrific feeling you could get when witnessing a gruesome automobile accident - whatever emotional rush, whatever thrill it may provide is secondary to a genuine interest in/sensitivity to things of that nature.

I've always been told I should try "being a kid" since the time I was 5 years old. I had very eclectic (and some would say eccentric) interests, and pursued them obsessively. I was well-liked by student and teacher alike, but had no interest in other people. I'm creative, and I keep to myself 24/7. Music and art of every conceivable variety are everything to me - but the human experience is also something that has always captivated me. Emotion, relations, love, depression, grief, rage, happiness, contentment - All of it - the happy, the heartbreaking, the beautiful things as well as the vile & unspeakable. But simply because I'm fascinated by some things people would consider macabre, it doesn't mean I go around collecting vertebra, having casual sex with people my age or younger and getting into knife fights on the weekends...I consider it to be the opposite in my case. An awareness of the profane allows me to become more in-tune with kindness, empathy and a virtuous lifestyle.

I also find this to be true with many of my peers. In a sense, I suppose it is indeed a "coarser" sensibility. You could say the same about every generation before mine as well, I think - there's always a sense that morality has gone down the drain when one half of the family grows pale & wrinkled while the other is going through a turbulent adolescence. One last point, the internet has made this changing attitude(s) MUCH more pervasive - you can find anything, at any time. Any knowledge. Any entertainment. Any skill or hobby. ANYTHING. If you're interested in Japanese Carpentry, you can learn all you'd ever want to understand about it with a keyboard and an internet connection - same goes for "dark & dreary" subjects as well. Spend as much time on the internet as everyone I know my age does, and you're bound to come across some horrible and downright vile things - and usually by accident. So exposure to things like murder, torture, abuse, and general immorality happens even without any intention to understand such things.

The sheer volume and all-encompassing availability of every conceivable kind of information and media has an enormous impact on those whose lives have never been without a computer or a smartphone or a game console. Nor are the changes brought about by the internet limited to children & young adults.

...just my thoughts one this as a whole.