每一個不同的人類社會都有它本身獨特的地方﹐包括它的價值觀念､生活方式､思想形態､所用語言､人的取向等等。這些都是經年累月積聚及社會受種種因素影響而改變所產生的結果。所以﹐人每到一個新地方﹐都有文化上的適應。人與他所成長的社會﹐有著密切的關係。人的成長別定受當地社會的影響﹐這是所謂人的社會化 ( process of socialization ). 因此﹐成人社會有一個極大的責任﹐就是為在成長中的孩童及青少年提供一個怎麼樣的社會﹖這問題恐怕成人社會已不去關心。從前的世界改變不大﹐因此﹐適應也比較容易。今天的社會是一個急劇改變的社會﹐改變速度驚人﹐造成一個令人難以適從的局面﹐對成人及老人更甚。難怪常聽見中老年人說﹕ [世界變了﹐世界變了] 。

改變的因素是甚麼﹖因素當然很多﹐但歸納起來大概有四個主要的因素﹕1。大眾傳播媒界的排山倒海､日以繼夜式的轟炸﹔2。因傳媒的轟炸所帶來人價值觀念､思想形態上的改變﹔3。因繁忙生活令人無暇使用腦袋去思想及分析事情的對或錯﹔4。世界因交通及資訊法達已變成鄰居。這四種因素是互為影響的。

先說傳媒﹐特別是電視､電影和聯網影響最深最大。對成人社會是投其所好的做法﹐道德的標準和界線越來越鬆懈﹐甚麼都可以從瑩光幕看見。孩童亦好像被電視牽著鼻子走﹐每天花很多時間看電視及上網。豈不是因很多父母過忙﹐無暇去理會兒女而因此對兒女的要求完全答應, 或許跟本不知道他們下課後做甚麼。況且﹐現今不是一家一電視的世界﹐特別在西方﹐每家幾部電視﹐且有是巨大銀幕的那種﹐電腦則更不在話下。人的腦袋不斷被馬拉松式的轟炸﹐在耳濡目染､日子有功的情況下﹐人對各樣事情的看法﹐又怎會不受影響﹖這些下意識的不斷滲入﹐能將人一向持守的觀念修訂或改變﹐對血氣方剛､分析力弱､立場持不定的青少年人來說﹐受影響的程度最深切。電視已被認為是看管小孩最佳及最廉宜的渠道。TV is the best and the cheapest babysitter.

觀念改變---觀念的改變不一定是不好﹐在對錯觀越來越不明顯現今的世界﹐很多以前黑白的地帶﹐已續漸變成灰色﹐好像是對與錯之間﹐無傷大雅。傳媒可以透過言論改變人﹐人亦可藉發揮不同的觀點去影響傳媒﹐特別是那些有名聲的人。一位大明星說不必結婚﹐因為一張 [沙紙] 並不能保證甚麼﹐於是同居潮風起雲湧。一般來說﹐當今的社會越來越自由化､縱容性越來越大﹐很多界限及藩籬已完全被衝破﹐中國人所強調的禮､義､廉､恥﹐聖經所強調的十誡﹐漸漸都已式微﹐如此下去﹐怎辦﹖我們可能要靠物極必反的原則﹐等待反的那日﹐要等到何時﹐只有天曉得。觀念的改變都是朝著自由､奔放､不受拘束及個人感覺好 ( feel good factor )的方向走。

無時間去思想---現今人對事物的反應迅速﹐為何﹖因為沒有時間去思想或不願意花時間去思想﹐只好靠當時的自我感覺好與壞﹐令我好受不好受､舒暢不舒暢等來做反應的基楚﹐事後可能後悔莫及。人必需要調較一下生活的節奏﹐用腦袋去思想及反思﹐不然的話﹐腦袋很快變成不太中用的廢物。現今常聽人對別人說﹕[無腦] ﹐相信就是很多人不懂得用腦去思考。可悲﹗

世界已變成鄰居---今天乘坐飛機到外地旅遊和觀光的人比以往直線上升。旅遊令人擴大視野､吸收很多外地文化﹐直接地影響他們對很多不同事情的看法。再加上傳媒經常介紹很多異地的特色﹐也令人有很多的體會和吸收﹐例如很多到過南美洲的人都很受探戈舞的吸引﹐回到本地要好好學習。久而久之﹐人就在不知不覺下改變自己的價值觀念。

看看今天的美國社會﹐很多青少年都有很多問題﹐青少年犯罪的情況已越來越嚴重﹐未成年女孩子去墮胎的數目不斷增加﹐做父母越來越難﹐老師的行業已不能吸引較優秀的份子去投身。成年社會來說﹐賭博､醉酒､槍殺､販毒､訛騙､經營色情行業的人﹐機乎每天都見報。不但如此﹐政客､商人好像還要不斷鼓吹並計劃多開同類的場所。整個社會的家庭和婚姻制度到在崩潰中。為甚麼電視經常報導越來越多青少年賭博､飲酒､吸毒､染上性病､墮胎等等﹐是誰之過﹖沒有人敢去面對﹐經常彼此埋怨。簡單來說﹐這是成年人社會的責任﹐不可抹煞。某些人應負上某些責任﹐綜合起來就做成這樣的一個社會。筆者個人認為當地州及聯邦政府應承擔更多的責任﹐因為只有政府有權立例去管制﹐民間團體沒法做得到。可惜今天政府很多的做法令人失望﹐以賭博為例﹐政府不單不去規範﹐還努力去增加更多賭場﹐甚至還考慮要將那五百元輸的限額取消﹐鼓勵人賭更大､更多。

肯定成人社會會自吃其果﹐可能有人說﹐到時我可能已不在世﹐我已不會看見。今天人人要問﹐你願意你們的孩子在一個這樣的氣氛中長大嗎﹖或許你說﹕我能作甚麼﹖或許不多﹐但能做甚麼就做甚麼﹐總勝於做一個[鴕鳥]。即使結果仍然失敗﹐但已盡所能﹐問心無愧。

Every human society is unique in its culture, life style, thought patterns and i language. All these are the results of long years of accumulation and also the results of social changes as influenced by various factors. It is naturally for people moving to a new place to have cultural adjustments even within the same country.

Men have very close relationship with the society in which they grow up, being under the influence of that particular society. This is what the sociologists call the process of socialization. It therefore creates a deep sense of responsibility for the grown-ups of every society, and that is, what kind of society do they provide for their youngsters to grow up in? I am afraid that the adults are no longer concerned about this question. In the past, there were little social changes and it was not difficult for the people to adjust. Now, societies go through rapid changes the speed of which is overwhelming. It is so difficult for people to adjust to this changing world, especially for the older folks . No wonder we often hear the seniors say, " What has happened to this world?"

There are multi-factors leading to the changes. To summaries, we can named four major factors: 1) the bombardment of the mass media;2) the change of the value system as a result of the influence of mass media; 3) the failure of the thinking faculty as a result of the hectic daily schedule of people; and 4) the fact that the world has become neighbors through the advance of transportation and the information technology. All four factors are inter-twined.

Let us look at the mass media first, particularly the tremendous influence of television, movies and internet. To the adult world, they cater to their tastes. The moral standard is getting to be extremely lax, so lax that we can see almost anything on the screen. To the children, they seem to be mesmerized by the media. They spend hours watching TV and/or go on the internet. Is it not because most parents are too busy to watch the children that they accede to the request of their children or they simply do not know what they do everyday after school hours. To-day, we are not talking about one television at home, we are talking about homes with several wide-screen televisions , especially homes in the west. Neither are we talking about homes without computers. The human brain is endlessly and yet unconsciously bombarded by all kinds of messages. Time takes effect, and there is no way that people will not be unduly influenced. To the growing youngsters whose positions on various issues are not firm and whose ability to differentiate is weak, the magnitude of the influence is immeasurable. Television has been called the most effective and the cheapest babysitter
Value change may not be necessarily bad. But, as a whole, today's value is no longer as clear-cut as black and white; it has become grey. There are so many grey areas that it is no longer easy to pinpoint what is right and wrong. Neither does it really matter to many. Mass media can change people; people can also change mass media. So many couples live together without getting married, so many gay marriages as well. Societies have become so liberal, free, permissive and non-inhibitive these days that everything goes. The spirit of the 10 commandments is no longer observed; decency has been ignored. The major factor that really counts is the "feel good" factor. As long as I feel good, that is all that matters.

Life is so busy that people seldom have time to sit down and meditate and think. Whatever issue that comes along, if I feel good at that time, I can respond positively and immediately. Such positive response may later turn out to be regretfully negative. Men need to modify the style of living and exercise the faculty of thinking before losing the function of the brain.

The world has become neighbors is a phenomena that enables people to travel to different places of the world to see things for themselves. The traveling results in the widening of the horizon and the absorption of different aspects of different culture. This shapes their concepts towards things. The fact that there are also lots of presentations of foreign places and cultural matters on television makes the deeper understanding of foreign cultures much more easily. People who have traveled to South America is so intrigued by the Tango that once they reach home, they start learning the Tango.
If we look at the American society to-day, we saw many problem young people, more and more juvenile delinquents, far too many teen age abortions. It is so difficult to be parents these days, and the teaching profession is no longer attractive to bright young people. For the adult world, there are so many crimes related to gambling, drinking, homicide, drug trafficking, fraud, and pornography reported on the newspaper everyday that people are numbed. Unfortunately, politicians and business people continue to promote and set up such places. Also, the institutions of marriage and family are on the verge of dissolution. There are reports of teenage gambling, drinking, taking drugs and abortions. Whose fault? No one wants to take responsibility but blame one another. Simply and undeniably, it is the responsibility of he adult world as a whole. However, I do believe that the government should take the bulk of the blame. It is only the government, local, state and federal which can legislate and rule; it is impossible for the social organizations to do that. It is a pity that what the government does is really disappointing. Take gambling for example.

Government not only does not rule sensibly, but continue to expand such facilities and even try to do away with the $500 loss limit. What kind of measures are the?
The adult society will definitely reap their harvest in the future, even the near future. May be some will say, I will not live that long to see. We must ask, what kind of society do we want to provide for our children to grow up? May be some will say, " What can I do?" May be not much, but do whatever we can. It is better than doing nothing. May be in the end we still fail, but we can have a clear conscience.