Pastors

The Isolation Generation

Excessive Internet use, online gaming, and porn are rewiring the male brain

Please, sir, may I have some different?” It’s not “more” the average young guy wants today, it’s different.

Psychologist Philip Zimbardo describes drug addiction as “wanting more,” but guys today have what he calls arousal addiction, always “wanting something different.” This never-ending stream of stimulation is behind the growing failure of males to connect with women socially or to succeed academically. They’re dropping out of life.

Zimbardo cites excessive internet use, video gaming, and online porn as causes of this new addiction. By age 21, boys spend 10,000 hours gaming, two-thirds of that time in isolation. The average young man watches 50 porn clips per week.

“Boys’ brains are being digitally rewired in a totally new way, for change, novelty, excitement, and constant arous-al,” Zimbardo says. “They’re totally out of sync in traditional classes, which are analog, static, and interactively pas-sive. And they’re totally out of sync in relationships, which build gradually and subtly.” This is creating a generation of young men who do not connect well in traditional teaching situations and who lack social skills especially with women.

—Zimbardo video is at TED.com (Aug 2011)

Survey Says: Education Makes Us More Religious?

Each additional year of education increases the likelihood of …

  • attending religious services: 15%
  • reading the Bible at least occasionally: 9%
  • switching to mainline Protestant denomination—ECUS, Lutheran, PCUSA or UMC: 13%.

—University of Nebraska-Lincoln sociologist Philip Schwadel, using data from the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago (CNN, 8/11/11)

Lesser Educated Leading Church Exodus

Monthly attendance among white adults 25-44 declines over 30-year period.

  • Least educated (did not graduate high school): 1970s ……. 38% 2000s ……. 23%
  • Moderately educated (high school graduate): 1970s ……. 50% 2000s ……. 37%
  • Educated (college graduate): 1970s ……. 51% 2000s ……. 46%

—from a report by American Sociological Association, using data from the General Social Survey and the National Survey of Family Growth. (USA Today, Aug 2011)

Copyright © 2011 by the author or Christianity Today/Leadership Journal.Click here for reprint information on Leadership Journal.

Our Latest

New Archbishop of Canterbury Steps into Anglican Divides

Conservatives call on Sarah Mullally, the first woman at the spiritual helm of the Church of England, to uphold biblical faith amid same-sex blessings debate.

News

FDA Approves Generic Abortion Pill

Students for Life leader calls the move “a stain on the Trump presidency.”

News

John Cornyn’s MAGA-land Challenge

The incumbent senator is up against his strongest challenge yet in populist-right leader Ken Paxton.

Fighting Korea’s Loneliness Epidemic with Cafés and Convenience Stores

Seoul recently introduced free public services to tackle social isolation. Christians have been doing that for years.

You Haven’t Heard Worship Music like This

John Van Deusen’s praise is hard-won and occasionally wordless.

Excerpt

‘Don’t Take It If You Don’t Need It’

The Trump administration releases new recommendations for Tylenol use during pregnancy.

The Russell Moore Show

BONUS: Lecrae on Reconstruction after Disillusionment

 Lecrae joins Russell Moore to take questions from Christianity Today subscribers

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube