There's a new threat to a new generation rising up through social media and time is starting to run out to address the situation before it gets totally out of control, says a man who has been helping others heal for decades.
Noel Kaludjak of Rankin Inlet began the Men Rising Up program (Angutiit Makgiangninga) in 2008 to help build stronger, healthier families. Years later, during a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on May 8, Kaludjak was honoured with the Meritorious Service Decoration medal for his work in helping men improve their mental health and adjust their priorities to put family first in their lives.
Kaludjak said the Men Rising Up program helped a lot of men and families, but there's still a lot more work that needs to be done.
He said that's especially true now, due to a different type of attack on the younger generations.
“Things are changing,” said Kaludjak.
“Before, during the time line of my life, the need for healing stemmed mostly from residential school and federal day school, and those are being dealt with right now. Yes, we are all affected by residential school, but now it's time to focus on the younger generations and how they must heal.
“Life has become so different now with technology; cellphones, internet, TV and all kinds of connections to the outside world. The young people need something different for the healing process in their lives. It's not like the old days anymore in the 1950s, '60s and '70s.
“It's not residential school or federal day school that our young people are dealing with. This is the technology age and through a cellphone you're connected with everybody all the time.”
Kaludjak said there's a lot of violence and cyberbullying going on through cellphones, as well as messaging on Facebook and other social media platforms.
He said public shaming is happening now and demeaning someone through Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and other forms of social media has become a huge problem.
“A lot of youth are being very negatively affected by all this these days. Relationships are dealt with differently today.
“Too often troubles in a relationship are being displayed publicly and a lot of it can be very, very cruel.”
People fighting through social-media posts, and everyone reading it, can affect a lot of young people very deeply. And, it seems to be never ending sometimes, with texts, photos, messages, posts and screenshots all being weaponized at times.
Kaludjak said people can now shame anyone publicly through social media.
He said it's time to start figuring out ways to deal with this, otherwise it's going to get way out of hand.
“I don't have all the answers, nobody does, but we need to start working together at some level to bring a lot of this stuff under control because I see so many attacks through social media on relationships and/or friendships, that you know it's doing damage.
“Young people can say just about anything to hurt someone now through social media, and some of our young people are really struggling and need help in healing from this damage.
“It's not going to be easy to find the answers and it's going to take time. But we have to start somewhere to address it, and the sooner, the better, before everything gets so far out of control that we can't do anything about it. That, I think, is a very real fear at this point.”
