There is an unstoppable trend amongst global youth to use online means in more pervasive and ubiquitous ways than ever before. Convincing Christians to pay attention to the forum of tomorrow's generation is a constant battle as traditionalists often belittle technologically-mediated communication and perceive it as insignificant by comparing it to real world communication.
While skeptics focus on doom and gloom regarding Internet usage and point to our sin nature online (i.e. porn addiction, identity theft, electronic slander, voyeurism, etc.), world-wide youth are marching into technologically-facilitated communication opportunities in record numbers and at unusual speed.
For example, during the the recent Viginia Tech college massacre, many students learned of classmates death's through their AOL messenger service. In fact, the Internet was the first place they turned, and not just to receive news information.
In a CNN report dated April 17, "many Virginia Tech students, grief-stricken and bewildered, turned to the Internet to share information and stories, ask questions and comfort each other."
Additionally, on Facebook.com, a members-only social website, dozens of groups were created, starting moments after the shootings. Students updated information within existing groups, and created additional groups for weeks and months after the tragedy. Facebook is only one example of how instinctive it has become for young people to use the Internet as a primary source for human communication.
Unlike the generation before them who used the Internet for seeking information, today's youth, the iGeneration, depend on online communication for meeting their needs - comfort, companionship, spiritual support, connection, conversation, relationship building, job/home searching and social networking.
Embracing online means as a cultural mandate, as a stewardship duty, as an unparalleled communication platform for spreading the good news is necessary for the transmission of the Kingdom of God to the next generation.
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The media outlets that the new generation is using is quite a bit more advanced then when I was in high school. They texted like there is no tomorrow. They are listening but doing three different things all at the same time. I find myself learning to adapt to this new way of doing things. It’s great. Facebook is the latest social networking environment I am jumping into and it is addicting. It’s great!