Experience stands aside for technology

We live in an age where the young and inexperienced is seen as the wise ones and those who have a lifetime of experience to draw from are written off as geriatric has-beens.

The ever-changing dependence of society on new technology, and a failure to make free technological training and education equally available to the old, as it is available to the young, may be to blame for this situation.

There is no supervision and guidance from elders in this world where young adolescents and children make decisions that change the fate of nations.

An example of this is the age of company directors, where people, with as little as one or two years of field experience, influence the decision-making processes. The youth controls the moral code behind the information technology, either on the Internet or television.

This happens especially when racial laws force a company to choose its employees by the grade of their color rather than their experience.

Many wars in developing countries are being are initiated by the youth.

Many older people, in countries where free computer training is not available, simply lag behind when old ways of communication falls away. In the absence of experience, financial reward becomes the only measure-stick for implementation of decisions and policies.

Recent examples are:

Poisonous substances added to baby foods and milk products to indirectly increase sales.

Decisions are made regarding the destruction of our natural heritage for a short-term financial reward. People cannot know what they are giving up if they do not have the experience, or wisdom to know what once was.

Violence influencing the youth can be directly linked to violent video games and television programs.

Popular soap operas are based on immorality, dishonesty and violence. People grow up to regard the sick fanatics of immature minds as the norm.

Perhaps it is time to recognize the need to empower mature citizens alongside the youth. The youth can teach old people how to use new technology so that they have a database of experience to tap into.

A fishing vessel may have all the weather reports and radar equipment on board to know when, how and where to bring in the biggest catch.

An experienced fisherman relies firstly on his five senses and uses electronics as a backup.