Uncontrolled population growth, growing illiteracy, economic inequality, social disorganization, etc. are the prime causes of increasing social ills. The unpredictable threats rising in society are the ill impacts of social issues. Social issues affect people in a society individually as well as in a mass.
People with good will strive for a good society and give efforts to address social ills. However, the growing social ills in society can be traced to a lack of education on ethics, habits, and values. Focusing on these essential things, a major changeover can be expected in society whilst eradicating the social ills drastically affecting society and its growth.
Role of ethics, habits, and values for eradicating social ills
Human actions ultimately decide an individual’s or society’s fate. The moral principles of individuals help to distinguish between right and wrong. The concept of ethics is derived from religions, cultures, and philosophies, and the guidelines help to create a well-functioning and civilized society. The framework encourages making decisions that would create positive impacts and at the same time refrain from undue outcomes.
With a vision of bringing out the best version of self, individuals can evaluate their morality and likewise make their choices, actions, or decisions. Ethics also impact the habits of an individual. The decisions made with a vision of the welfare of society are the individual impacts of ethics, habits, and values. Below are the social ills that have taken a huge toll.
Social ills, discrimination, and impacts:
Inequality & Racism: Humanity might have entered the space age, but bias surrounding caste, creed, color, and birth still roosts in present-day society. Discrimination over sex, tradition, culture, religion, and lifestyle is headlining all over the world each day.
Divide between Haves & Have-Nots: The gap between the haves and have-nots is on a surge. The rich are getting richer while the poor are sliding into the oblivion of chaos. Business trend is getting predatory with prime importance to selfish pursuits in this information age. Wielding power too is creating a great divide. This has once again brought back unrest and turmoil in society and war for humanity. Illiteracy and population explosion are adding to the woes.
Child Labour: Childhood under the warmth of parents is the best phase of human life. Symbol of innocence and joy, children are the future of a nation. However, in many regions of the world, kids are burdened with work either for a living or support to family or crime syndicate. This has resulted in child labor, which is basically said to be the work done by children below the age of fourteen.
This not only deprives these young minds of their childhood and studies, but often turns them into hardcore individuals with defective physical, mental, psychological, and social understanding.
Crimes against children and women: Unethical mindset has been identified as a major factor behind the failure of society to protect the lives and dignity of girls and women. The origin of the crime of all nature against children and women is due to a dearth of self-regulation. Lack of integrity, morality, and a sense of responsibility among men of all age groups are some of the other factors which have precipitated this scenario. There has been an alarming rise in the percentage of criminality and antisocial behavior among youths with changes in social structure and individual motives.
Rising youth suicides: According to WHO, more than 0.7 million people die by suicide every year. Furthermore, for each such case, there are more than 20 suicide attempts. These self-destructive incidents have a ripple effect impacting families, communities, and societies. Loss of employment, family problems, relationship woes, stress, harassment, addiction, public shame, and lifestyle changes are some of the triggers of suicides. The only way to reduce suicides is by spreading proper awareness, care, and love and of course teaching moral principles.
Building a better society addressing the social ills
Addressing the social ills is essential to uplift society. Thus, it is essential to educate individuals as well as the mass about the growing social ills and their impacts on society. Even, it is crucial to educate about the importance of ethics, habits, and values of individuals and their part in addressing and preventing social ills. An individual or a society educated about the importance of ethics, values, and habits can strive for building a better society following the framework. Ethics, values, and morals have an overall impact on the habits which helps to make better decisions which ultimately lead the way to building a better society.