Eastern Society Facing Social Change

Article: Eastern Society Facing Social Change By: Tahany Azzab

Eastern society is experiencing major turmoil on the social level. This crisis first emerged within the Eastern family itself, then its effects spread to Eastern communities in the diaspora.

The problem began with a major challenge represented by children rebelling against their parents, which widened the gap between them. Children turned against inherited educational concepts and principles that parents consider unquestionable truths. Some of these principles are still suitable for an authentic, deeply rooted society like Eastern society, while others have become outdated and unfit for raising new generations who are open to the world. This is where the clash began.

What caused this crisis?

Today, children have become the ones influencing their parents, not the other way around. We can call them the “teaching generation,” because they have taught their fathers and mothers rebellion and the reconsideration of everything they inherited in terms of ideas.

Aside from psychological, financial, and family pressures, the father began searching for love and pleasure, aspiring to absolute sexual freedom, while at the same time clinging to the home and family to preserve a respectable social image. The Eastern man was never fundamentally involved in raising children; traditionally, this role was assigned to women.

In the face of this rebellion, women are no longer able to carry out this role on their own, nor can they continue to bear accusations of neglect and constant mistreatment. On the other hand, they are no longer able to withstand the emotional and psychological void caused by the absence of a true partner and the rebellion of their children against them. As a result, women themselves rebelled and turned against everyone. This is the most dangerous aspect of the crisis, because the collapse of women means the collapse of society as a whole.

The consequences of this crisis are severe at all levels. Scandals have emerged that society had never witnessed before, contradicting the principles and values that once defined it, in addition to rising rates of divorce and domestic violence within families. In 2023, the divorce rate in Egypt reached 30%. According to the World Health Organization, 40% of children from broken families suffer from psychological disorders.

A fierce battle is raging between the sexes on social media, with each side accusing the other of being responsible for misery, the failure of the family, the loss of children, and the absence of love. It has even gone so far that each side wishes for the other’s disappearance from existence.

Superficial (outward) religiosity is spreading in society, making calls for polygamy and temporary marriage a form of social rebellion rather than a genuine application of religious law, as their advocates claim.

Young people observe this intense conflict and have declared rebellion against the idea of marriage, adopting new ideas alien to society, such as cohabitation, dating, and casual relationships.

Fingers are pointed at the spread of social media. However, the real problem does not lie in its spread, but in its incorrect and unmindful use. Everyone hides behind screens searching for what they lack, which has caused a disruption in concepts and ideas that had long prevailed in Eastern society.

Local media also contributes to escalating tensions. Egyptian media, for example, presents female voices such as Radwa El-Sherbiny to promote women’s empowerment, while, on the other hand, Yasmine Ezz presents opposing ideas by supporting male dominance and the “pharaonization” of men. This discourse gains wide popularity within a society that is already inherently patriarchal.

Both media figures have a broad influence on millions of followers, yet in reality they adopt two forms of extreme ideas that significantly contribute to intensifying the existing conflict between men and women, and consequently to the destruction of the family structure.

Whether we like it or not, it seems we are facing a social revolution that will change ways of thinking and reshape the social fabric. It resembles the social transformations that occurred in American society during the 1960s and 1970s, including what is known as the “sexual revolution,” in addition to the civil rights movement that called for gender equality and led to changes in sexual and social norms.

What are the solutions?

Despite the great tension caused by social media and the media at large, there is an undeniable truth: they have created a state of awareness and awakening among members of society. However, it is a confused awareness and a chaotic awakening that has unsettled everyone.

The negative effects of this development can be reduced by adopting various approaches, including calling on influential media figures to adjust and unify media discourse toward a single goal: social reform and strengthening family cohesion, rather than fueling the existing conflict.

In addition, the public must be educated about the need to rationalize the use of social media and to emphasize the importance of using it in a healthy way. This can be achieved by reinforcing the idea that the virtual world is not a suitable place to vent desires or search for genuine feelings of love; it is a world that offers nothing but illusion. The family is the true, tangible entity in real life, and everything individuals seek exists within this entity—not in private chat rooms.

Conclusion:

Like American society, Eastern society is following the same path and has reached a turning point toward change and development, after which it will never return to what it was before the era of social media. It is the point of no return. The negative aspects of this change can be mitigated through different methods, such as educating the public on the proper use of social media and implementing a media and religious discourse aimed at genuine social reform.

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Article: Eastern Society in the Face of Social Change

By: Tahany Azzab