There are several non profits in the Portland area that are attended by the age demographic that is pilloried by Hedges. In most of the rest of the country, (I have lived in ten states) the attention span is dedicated to the media, outside of which it is dedicated to what is immediately available. This often happens to be the church. Both the electronic media and the flesh and bones people around them in these regions demand confirmation to what the powers-that-be would like to see believed.
I have a fourteen year old daughter who is the definition of the habit demographic that Chris Hedges bemoans.
She does the media thing to numb her mind to the abuse meeted out to her by her other biological parent. She has her phone her laptop and a tablet going with different media at the same time, as she draws her own stories and comic books, These pictorial pages are fragmented and fantastic. As she has no regard for me, my ability to consistently enforce rules becomes a struggle that I would rather not have.
If it does not wow, surprise, or yank their chain in some way, her generation is not interested.
I met one like minded parent at a Pumpkin patch and Corn maze once, four years ago. His daughter, has gone on to excel in every subject and is conversant with geography, math physics and biology. Their family owns boat, and they go out in nature often.
As my daughter’s mother is a highly functional narcissist, no relationship lasts long, especially if it makes my ex look bad. My daughter, therefore, no longer associates with this very well brought up girl, from a family that I tried so hard to cultivate a friendship with from a 120 miles away.
My daughter once asked me if I knew why she did what she did. I hesitated to answer, but she answered herself. To escape and get away. When lunacy and lack of reciprocal respect is such a plague on the planet, the escapism is a safety zone they would rather have.
I am not sure why I have answered in the is personal and direct way, but there it is.