Cliffhanger: noun (Collins Dictionary)

A cliffhanger is a situation or part

of a play or film that is very

exciting or frightening because

you are left for a long

time not knowing

what will happen next.

A film or a serial with an outrageous cliffhanger keeps you on the edge-of-the-seat. You may might as well be biting your nails. This helps the film win ratings and rave reviews.

Now imagine – your son or daughter with a cliffhanger attitude towards life and career. S/he will also keep you on the edge-of-your-seat and have you ride on the horns of dilemma. And ratings, forget about it.

Holding a digital device, head bent forward, sequestered in the phone world and feeling empowered – looks like a familiar everyday scene?

Hail the millennials. They live in the world of ‘smart phone’ and ‘smart everything’. Smiley and characters define their language. While apps seems to make their lives easier.

Their attention span mostly is fragmented between – the task at hand (be it study or work), constant Fb checks, replying to instant messages, gaming and watching a forwarded viral video on Youtube, all at the same time.

The end result being, they are doing everything and achieving nothing that’s up to the mark ( or achieving average results).

As parents, our past experiences and our culture makes us believe that like us, in the end our children will find a direction.

Mind you. Here we are not talking about those young technology prodigies who have made a mark with their start-ups and more. Of course they are gaining from all our time invested in technology and us. But we are talking about the rest of us who are mindlessly investing our time in technologies developed by these prodigies.

The majority of generation who are addicted to ‘digital’ beyond necessity and using it for fun – Do we know where they are headed?

What worries me is that few among the millennials or as I choose to call them ‘cliffhanger generations’ know where they are ‘really’ going in life or career. The notion created by technology empowers them, giving them a feel that the world is in their palm.

But – Is it?

Either their future is too exciting and bright. Or we should all be frightened that it’s a cliffhanger movie where we have no idea what will  happen next.

WHERE DO YOU GO FROM HERE?

Yes, technology can be empowering when you control it, not when ‘technology’ controls you.

For youngsters distraction and disruption is so much a part of their life that they don’t even know what ‘normal’ feels like. Distraction is the new normal. Being anxious feels right. And state of calm makes them feel restless.

We live in a ‘connected world’. But we have moved far away in terms of being in touch with our own self, our inner emotions and are clearly moving away from actual physical relationships.

Our world has altered, whether we accept it or not. If we don’t receive messages, emails, likes, dislikes continuously, we feel out of elements.

The generation called ‘millennials’ and the one behind them remain so distracted that we need to worry. Where are they headed?

Is the notion that ‘technology’ and ‘digital’ put together will help them towards a brighter future enough?

How can this generation achieve anything when they lack ‘focus’ or concentration?

Wasn’t the key determinant for success ‘extreme focus’? It was, till yesterday at least!