Becoming Faust

This is the article I wrote for the last edition of our newspaper this semester. I think it's one of my best yet. Please tell me what you think.

We live in a unique generation. Never before have so many people had so much access to entertainment and information. For the first time in history, almost anyone can learn about current global and local events, as well as other information on any topic imaginable. While the benefits of such power are vast and undeniable, there are also drawbacks which are far harder to recognize at first glance.

For those who are unfamiliar with Faust, he is the main character of an old story that tells about a man who sold his soul to the devil. In exchange, he received 24 years of unlimited knowledge and the service of a demon with magical abilities called Mephistopheles. As one might expect, Faust gained the power to experience all the pleasures the world had to offer. Usually, this was at the expense of someone else's wellbeing. However, at the end of the play, the devil showed up just as promised and dragged Faust to hell.

The first thing that popped into my head when I heard the story of Faust was, "That guy was not very bright. Who would sell their soul to burn in hell for a measly 24 years of pleasure?" Then I remembered an assignment I needed to work on, but I decided to check Facebook instead. I knew I would regret it later, but I tried not to think about that as I traded away valuable study time for nothing more than temporary enjoyment.

Education is becoming increasingly important in today's world. A college degree is expected of anyone who does not plan on becoming a manual laborer, and sometimes even for those who do. Fortunately, a college education is easier to attain now than it has ever been. Unfortunately, the college drop-out rate is also higher than it has ever been. A 2010 estimate stated that only 56% of college students will earn a bachelor's degree.

What caused this incredible increase in failure? Ask the students who spend almost 24 hours a month on Facebook. According to the site’s own statistics, that is how much time the average person spends on their website. Remember, that is only the average. That is taking into account all those people who made a profile but never use it. Take those people out of the equation, and the numbers you get could be astronomical. The statistics for YouTube viewing are hardly any better. The average person spends almost two hours a week watching YouTube videos. Think about these numbers for a minute. This is the amount of time some people spend working part-time jobs.

So what does all this have to do with that Faust guy I mentioned earlier? Much more than one might think. Today’s students have made a deal with the devil. Unlike Faust, however, we do not get a magic demon to cater to our every whim or unlimited knowledge. What we get is mind-numbing oblivion in the form of Facebook games, YouTube videos, and other online distractions that serve no purpose beyond providing a temporary diversion from unpleasant tasks like essays or studying for a test. Just like Faust, many students will meet with tragic consequences. Of course, I am not saying that Facebook and YouTube are responsible for the 44% college dropout rate, but I would not doubt that they are a contributing factor.

We live in the entertainment age. Our lives are centered on our own enjoyment. While students from countries such as China and India are making incredible strides toward advancement and progress, we barely even know what our class assignments are. The bad news is that our contract with the devil will not last forever. One day, the amount of time we lost to cyberspace will catch up with us. If we are not careful, we could find ourselves out of college with no degree and a bleak-looking future.

So what can we do? Repent. It is time we chose the hard road of doing what we need to do. Try setting a weekly limit to your Facebook visits. Try to limit yourself to one or two YouTube videos a week. Whatever your time-consuming pitfall is, put some type of limit on it. Remember, this is your future we are talking about. It is about time we started ripping up the devil’s contracts.