"Me"

When you go shopping, do you put the cart or buggy back into the proper place or do you leave it in the parking lot for the cart pusher to reclaim? It's a simple question. It isn't illegal to leave the cart in the middle of nowhere, but you also don't gain anything by putting it back in the proper location. When you go to the movie theatre to watch the latest movies, do you pick up your trash or just leave it there for the usher to clean up? Again it isn't illegal to leave the place trashed but what could possibly motivate you to pick up your own rubbish when there are people who are paid to do so.

In todays world or at least in the modern U.S, society has taken a very "ME" kind of attitude. This decline in togetherness has been going on for probably awhile. I could see the changes in people's demeanors even from my point of view as a child. The accessibility of the internet, I personally feel is one of the many factors for this change. The internet is a amazing and dangerous thing. It has connected us in ways that our ancestors never would have dreamed of, but at the same time it has almost separated us from our humanity.

I feel as though the internet has brought about the decline of things such as good manners and human decency. Now you may be wondering how or why I would come to that conclusion. Behind the screen people feel safe, like they can just say what they want and there are no consequences. They can't see the persons face as they read that they have been called disgusting or trash. They only get text in response to these things. There are no actual facial expressions in the text ( Though emojis do try). They don't see the hurt in the persons eyes that they are degrading. To the person behind the screen it is only a game. Sadly, behavior like that can be taught to our children and they take it a step further and grow up talking to people in real life this way. No regard for people's feelings or thoughts. Do you think that the parents that hide behind screens and insult people are also teaching their children things like manners or the "Golden Rule"? I think it's very doubtful that they are.

It is this lack of empathy that has caused us to think merely about ourselves. We are more divided than we have ever been. We have lost sight of humanity as a whole. I believe that this selfish attitude will only hinder us as individuals and as the human race. People will talk about the injustices of the world and there movements and how they want change. They may even make an effort to actually change things in how they are ran or done, but if everyone is thinking only of themselves and not the bigger picture, then how can anything change? How can anything change when we live in a society of corporate greed and the dehumanization of people? These are the thoughts that keep me up at night. These are the things that make someone who was once so hopeful feel hopeless.

So how can we make a change in our attitudes? How can we make a change in this world? It's a lot easier than you think and it may sound cliché. We just have to start showing appreciation to one another. It's that easy. Something as simple as a please or thank you, can go so far. When was the last time you told your significant other thank you for something that they did for you? or when was the last time you told your parents thank you for dinner tonight? When someone does something for you, even if they are being paid to do it, showing appreciation can go a long way. Will the world change overnight? No. There's too much greed in the world. Too much of the "Me" mentality, but if the cycle of this attitude is ever going to be broken then it starts with you. It starts with us. You deserve a better world. You and your children and your children's children deserve a better world. So take those first few steps away from "Me" and start moving towards "Us". Thank you for your time and I appreciate you.