17/05/2015
Hey!!!!! Good Morning Antigua Barbuda Teen Edition, is this for real? No, seriously.
Though today's episode was your last episode, I have watched you for most all of your episodes, and I am still waiting for improvement. I have no problem when I see young people are involved in the media, absolutely not. I love you my young people, I am an advocate for you. I can in no way whatsoever blame you for your actions, for you came into this society from your mothers' wombs and met it the way it is. It is we/us, the adults who need to guide you on an empowering path so you can grow into who you are meant to be. It is the media, the directors, producers make it the product that it is. In a time when there are so many social ills affecting society and the obvious indicator of an erosion of morals, the program needs to bring more value so the youth are uplifted.
For the majority of episodes, I have observed the numerous times that fetes were given much attention, when there were other meaningful activities taking place also. I ask you what percentage of teenagers who are attending school also attend fetes so much that the fetes need to be regularly highlighted? The fetes are already being pushed quite successfully on the other (local, if u please) GMAB program, added to the adaptation of the european culture; and a disconnect of who we are as a people, where you refer to Wednesday as HUMP day. (Though some individuals are amused with the sight of animals hu***ng each other, a who ina Antigua talk so?)
Are we giving mixed messages to our youth when we cry out what is happening with our young people but then we fail to produce a local program which has some content of social value. Are we producing a product which assists young people to make healthy choices, to reduce the risk of sexual behaviours which may lead to unwanted abortion/unwanted pregnancy (to the % of youth whom that applies), are we providing information that would equip our youth to make informed decisions about their personal lives?
Are we assisting our youth to develop skills in communication, refusal, negotiation and coping? Are we addressing socio-economic factors, and psychological factors?
Are we helping our youth to build self-worth and develop healthy relationships with peers/families. Are we providing them with the necessary tools that would enable them to make smooth transitions from secondary school to tertiary or to the work world? Are we teaching them survival skills for a competitive world and the global village in which we live?
Are we teaching them ingenuity and entrepreneurship? Are we teaching them the fundamental of having a knowledge of themselves and being the best that they can be? And yes I have seen the very few round table discussions among the youth where they have had conversations about a social issue, but there is no one on the set to provide guidance or give creative solutions.
There needs to be a balance here.
We make up society. Our society needs more visionaries!!!!!!
