In my opinion modern youth have lost their ability to talk. Everyone has had the experience, no doubt: the teenager behind the checkout counter refuses to engage you in a pleasant conversation. Although many youth enjoy talking, they see it merely as an outlet. Teenagers willing to have stimulating conversations or even able to relate to someone else’s struggles seem hard to come by. Today’s young rappers underscore the situation. One rarely looks to these teenage-boy role models for stimulating topics, rather selfish rants. Perhaps the high pressure school environment causes many kids to view conversation in this diminutive light. From Kindergarten to Vacation Bible School, organizations for children tend to force painfully staged conversation at a young age. Unmonitored conversation becomes a escape and a way to secretly express resentment against the “machine.” During the teenage years enough disturbing events may occur at school to dominate conversation about anything else. Unfortunately, the same thing often seems to happen in college. With a plethora of unhappy families, I would argue that few people know a secret of happy family life lies in good conversation.

As people become increasingly unable to talk we, who can talk, face a new hardship. Conversation has become essential to us, and we find ourselves depressed when no one wants to engage in it. What sort of conversation or socialization occurs at movie theaters or crowded dances with blaring music? Even finding a spouse may become harder for us. Many people pass over developing good conversation in favor of purely romantic relationships. Yet really we should accept today’s new challenge. We must become society’s healers. Our task lies in teaching our handicapped brothers and sisters how to talk again. This will require much patience, but in our times it seems the only antidote. At the same time, we who can talk will form close bonds in this lonely world.