So, we have been talking about how to reach a generation of people in Loughner’s age bracket. They are called Generation Y and here is an article on that, and them. Mostly they have grown up with technology and alone. This morning I watched a video on Piaget from the Walker Art Center and here is the link to that:
The video above is important in terms of “worlds” and children. It takes a while to watch, but, this is the generation that I am writing for. As I was writing HEART OF CLOUDS, I put interventions in the text that underlie the story. Thankfully, yesterday I came across an article on something called Bibliotherapy. How fabulous to have a title for the genre.
I had talked in previous articles about the concept of developing an imaginal consciousness in terms of a generation who may have missed that developmental stage because of growing up with all the technology.
From the Wikipedia:
At its most basic, bibliotherapy consists of the selection of reading material, for a client that has relevance to that person’s life situation. The idea of bibliotherapy seems to have grown naturally from the human inclination to identify with others through their expressions in literature and art. For instance, a grieving child who reads (or is read to) a story about another child who has lost a parent will naturally feel less alone in the world.
An additional article is here on Bibliotherapy.
If we look back at the first link from the Gen Y article — this emerges:
“…Such names define the world in which Generation Y has grown up, a world with diverse Internet resources, iPods, MySpace and intense multi-tasking — simultaneously chatting on AIM, finishing a problem set, watching television and listening to music. These kids are the kids of the Baby Boomers, heavily immersed in a digital world…
“…Running down the list of various events that have occurred during the lives of those in Generation Y, it may seem that the group will become identified with cynicism, skepticism and pessimism in comparison to past generations. According to the January 2006 newsletter of the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives, statistically speaking, “antidepressants, prescription medication and other behavior-altering drugs, such as RItalin, [making] Gen Yers the most medicated generation in history…”
So, we had looked at the concept of “aquarium heads” — and now we can add the pre-scripted games/meds as overlay. A question would be, then? Especially in this era — what is the internal/external frame of reference? What is reality testing for this generation? How does that look?
Here is an article I read this morning…
For some purpose, simulation is just as good as a real. Kids call it being “alive enough.” Making an airline reservation? Simulation is as good as the real. Playing chess? Maybe, maybe not. It can beat you, but do you care? Many people are building robot companions; David Levy argues that robots will be intimate companions. Where we are now, I call it the “robotic moment,” not because we have robots, but because we’re being philosophically prepared to have them. I’m very haunted by these children who talk about simulation as “alive enough.” We’re encouraged to live more and more of our lives in simulation.
If we think about the tragedy that just occurred?
A question would be, what is the intersection of inner and outer reality as regards the transpersonal?
In the book I wrote, one of the interventions is to teach “communication” in the outside world. How self can meet other. I framed this in an allegorical tale of two teenagers and my intervention was to teach them how to write. The book can be used as a Bibliotherapy intervention for the generation who has been raised on these devices above.
The Alchemy Project I am developing will use a series of interventions in terms of Art and Narrative therapy — as an Ecopsychological intervention.
You can see my tx paradigm here:
http://alchemyprojectemo.wordpress.com/
We had spoken about cognition and language and the emoticon over the last few articles I’ve written here. My sense is that we can grow cognition, language and emotion “out” from the techno-isolation by using classical techniques.
VALENTINE BONNAIRE - WRITER 