Disconnected BlackBerries

Thanks for your stunning article “A Clockwork BlackBerry” (AA&B September 2011). I've long had a sense of unease at the disconnect I observe among young people who seem so remote from my own world. I've watched kids text each other sitting at the same table rather than speak aloud to one another. Not unsurprisingly, it has become a challenge to find a younger person in command of the English language these days. Where a story of another's suffering can still move me to tears and make me want to find a way to help, it's not uncommon to see a kid shrug it off with a casual “stuff happens” dismissal. The technology piece is, as you eloquently point out, second nature to the Gen-Yers, and with the disenfranchisement due to a failed education system, no real sense of responsibility and accountability, the growing attitude of entitlement, and the current economic struggles we all face, it's easy to see how technology could become a ticking bomb. Helping our insureds cope with the potential explosions will be our challenge.

You've taken the larger issue and drilled down very effectively to the underlying dynamics, and given us all a lot to think about. Well done. I'll be looking for your byline on future articles.

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