Omkar Dattatray
It is very unfortunate that the moral and ethical values in the modern society are declining day by day and it is a matter of great concern to all right thinking people .
There is moral perversion and moral turpitude in human society today and concerted and serious steps should be taken to arrest the bad trend of declining moral values .Materialism is taking deep roots in the society as the people are becoming materialistic and are moving away from moral and ethical values .We take great pride in modernity but forget that the real modernity is in having moral and cultural values .
No doubt man has progressed in science and technology and has excelled in different walks of life but alas he is distancing from moral ,social ,cultural and ethical values and this is a big problem.
Morality is a thing of bygone days and in present time we are suffering because we lack morality and ethical values and there is great need to control this trend and ensure that people follow morality. Honesty and integrity is the first casualty of the degradation of moral and social values .
The bad results of moral decay in the society are felt in different fields of life and sooner we should control moral bankruptcy in the society.
An analysis of survey conducted around the world since 1949 shows that the idea of a decline in moral values is omnipresent ,whatever the social or historical context .According to respondents ,this moral decline is linked to getting older ,and to the arrival of new less virtuous generations .
The idea of moral decline has been present in societies over history .Studies contradict this perception ,everyday morality is not declining .We can therefore speak of the ”illusion of moral decline .
”This erroneous belief is reinforced by two cognitive biases -the negativity bias and memory bias .We often hear ”things were better before.
”The idea is that in the past you could trust other people ,the people respected each other ,and that from now on that is no longer the case .
”If that is true ,it is a very powerful description of the world and a disaster .If not ,there is a very interesting psychological question-why do people think that there is a moral decline?”The decline in moral values means that people are less honest generous ,polite, respectful or kind than they used to be. The society has become less ethical in recent decades .
The study conducted between 1949 and 2019 ,involving 220,000 people in the United States ,and 58 surveys involving more than 350000 participants in 59 countries between 1996 and 2007 showed that everywhere people feel that their sense of morality is declining .
Everywhere there is moral deterioration in the society and honesty is declining with each passing day and there is moral perversion seen everywhere and if this trend of moral decline continues unabated it will bring in its wake great moral catastrophe and moral bankruptcy and it will be difficult to come out of the moral crisis of the worst order .
The bad trend of moral decline in the society should be fought with resilience and determination .
Without preserving moral and ethical values ,there is no difference between the human beings and animals and men will lose the characteristic of being called superior animals and they are then worst than animals .
There is no real meaning of development unless and until we are able to develop the minds of the people .
All the material ,scientific and technological development of the society is paling into insignificance till we are not able to ensure the morally upright individuals. There is great need to make people morally and ethically conscious so that honest people are manned in different walks of life so that our economy will not suffer .In popular culture ,what seems to have the highest shock value captures many people’s attention. Consequent and consistent choice of shock value over normalcy has in sense eroded what is considered to be moral, Changing trends in family and parenting have also contributed to moral decay .
With many parents occupied with their careers ,enough of them consider providing for the needs of their children as sufficient ,yet being emotionally present/involved and supportive through their developmental stages matters more ,especially in helping define their moral foundation .
The basic cause of moral degradation in society is the lack of standards that is lack of understanding of the importance of values to our lives .
The fact is the moral values are fading these days The youngsters are busy preparing for their careers and enjoying their life.
They have little concern for social problems or family affairs .The old people are often neglected. We hear of young people mistreating their old parents or even throwing them out .
Due to cut throat competition in the society ,the small children are neglected. The parents leave them in crèches where they are devoid of warmth and care .
The culture is degrading day by day due to the effect of western culture ,influence and movies which often mislead the younger generation .
Children have less regard for their mentors and they are glued to their ipads and laptops .
Gone are the days when students valued their teachers and have immense gratitude for them .Life has become very fast and hectic in the coming times .The food habits of children and even adults have been spoiled due to junk food.
More and more children are now suffering from obesity and do not understand the value of nutritious food .Adults are affected by diseases like blood pressure ,diabetes cancer.
Though we have become highly educated due to eroding values and ideals life is becoming more and more complex .People have forgotten the worth of simple and meaningful living .
The stiff competition is forcing youngsters to commit suicide which is very disappointing and reflects our weak support system .Our avarice and greed have led to low ethics and moral values ,thus increasing crimes resulting in fear and threat among innocent people .People in this information age are busy in their selfish pursuits and lack human values .The low moral values have created unrest and turmoil in society .
We see honest people struggling and facing hardships .As we march into digital age ,it is high time to keep our moral values high to create a just and equal society and spread happiness all around .
The family ,good parenting and schooling should imbibe moral and ethical values among children who are the future leaders and rulers .
Moral and cultural education should be made an integral part of the school curriculum and passing in the moral studies should be made compulsory .
In the family the children should be given good education and should be imparted sanaskars so that they will become good students and later become worthy citizens of the democracy.
Let us reverse the moral perversion and moral decay and ensure that people become morally and culturally conscious so that there is all round development of the moral fabric of the society.
(The author is a columnist, social and KP activist).
