Black History Month is an opportune time to pay tribute to the greatest civil rights leader of our modern times: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

MLK’s timeless words of wisdom continue to resonate today with a new generation of young people–Generations Z and Alpha–who can learn many vital lessons for the civil rights icon. Most notably, that hate begets hate on social media and digital devices. This is especially relevant due to the ubiquitous nature and influence of today’s mobile, digital and virtual Information Age on the minds and development of young people.

 Young people need more safe spaces online and less exposure to hate, harassment and gruesome depictions of graphic violence. Gen Z is the older of the two demographics, born between 1996 and 2010. And Gen Alpha is the newest generational cohort, born between 2010 to 2025.  These two generations spend countless hours per day on social media and digital devices which are increasingly spreading hate speech–poisoning the minds of children, teenagers and 20-somethings.

Gen Z has been increasingly exposed to graphic new forms of online violence, hate, harassment, propaganda and even indoctrination— a very troubling trend.

The light speed pace of new and evolving technology has normalized the prevalence of digital communication to an unprecedented level. This has unintended consequences for teens.

For example, social media posts spreading hate and violence are easier to view and faster to share, with the ability to reach millions of people worldwide in seconds or minutes by going viral.

And China-owned TikTok, plus Snapchat and Instagram, are the preferred social media platforms for teens and 20-somethings. TikTok is banned for use by the federal workforce in its official capacity, and for good reason: the proliferation of hate and violence, lies and fake news, as well as bad actors preying on vulnerable teens.

Another unintended consequence of new tech on teens is that they are poised to spend more time in the virtual world than the real one. And that may happen even before virtual reality wearables are scaled more cheaply for the masses.

That’s why Dr. King’s most vital message for Gen Z is about the critical importance of change through non-violent means, albeit in a more violent world for young people.

Unintended Consequences

It’s certainly not the fault of Gen Z that they were born into the 21st century high-tech world of digital devices at their fingertips.

Still, the negative unintended consequences of online hate and violence on teens should be kept in check through greater communication, education, outreach and sharing of some old-school values by their elders (families and schools alike).

According to the organization Futures Without Violence, to cite just one range of examples:

• “1 in 4 teens is harassed or abused through technology.”
• “Over 46 million kids in the U.S. experience trauma and violence.”
• “Young people aged 12 to 19 experience the highest rates of rape and sexual assault.”
• “1 in 5 tweens knows the victim of dating violence.”
• “Teenagers age 18 and 19 experience the highest rates of stalking.”
• “Approximately 1 in 3 adolescent girls in the U.S is a victim of physical, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner.”

In addition to the proliferation of online hate and graphic violence, Gen Z also faces a myriad of other social challenges for which older generations like mine (Gen X) were not exposed during our youth.

Besides more violence, harassment and bullying online generally — and via social media particularly — some other ominous societal issues confronting young people today include (but are not limited to):

• More frequent and deadlier school shootings
• More toxic political discourse and tribalism
• A sharp rise in hate crimes and related violence
• A worsening climate crisis at or past a “tipping point”
• Fallout from the coronavirus pandemic and vax debate
• The emergence of new and evasive covid variants
• Other downsides of novel tech, like AI deepfakes
• The list goes on…

What other novel social issues of the 2020s — tech or otherwise — do teens have to deal with that can lead to hate and violence?

Progress via Peace

A term of significance for Gen Z to fully comprehend is “civil disobedience” via peacefully exercising their sacred First Amendment rights, such as freedom of speech and assembly, etc.

Championing historic social change through peaceful means was the effective approach of MLK which made America a better place, as evidenced by concrete results.

Dr. King staked his life and legacy on preaching non-violence, similar to that of Mahatma Gandhi during the independence movement of India (then ruled by the British).

In fact, Dr. King is said to have admired and studied Gandhi’s successful strategy of non-violent opposition, which MLK emulated via the civil rights movement across the South in the 1960s.

MLK promoted civil disobedience in the face of vicious police brutality and mass jailings of peaceful demonstrators, including himself.

Similarly, both Dr. King and Gandhi were murdered because of their effectiveness in leading positive social change on a grand scale by non-violent and non-hateful means. Death was the ultimate price they paid.

Unlike some Black leaders of the time who preached and/or resorted to violence as a first resort — like Malcolm X and the heavily armed Black Panther movement — Dr. King persevered with a solid strategy of civil disobedience via peaceful means.

What a timeless lesson which holds new meaning for today’s positive change agents, more than half a century after MLK’s assassination.

Dr. King’s wise approach paid big dividends by advancing equal opportunity for minorities and women who faced systemic discrimination in nearly all aspects of society.

Members of Gen Z have a lot to learn from the lessons of MLK, and it is incumbent on earlier generations to teach it.

Landmark Laws

Dr. King’s perseverance paid off through the enactment of groundbreaking civil rights laws that altered the course of American history.

Therefore, today’s young people should learn to leverage peaceful means of protest via the Constitutional guarantees of free speech, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly. Many have done just that, but others have not.

MLK’s lawful acts of non-violent resistance resulted in historic legislative and legal gains via the sweeping Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

These two landmark civil rights laws changed America for the better and ushered in a new era of equality and opportunity for those citizens whose fundamental freedoms had previously been denied.

Although the groundbreaking civil rights laws of the 1960s obviously did not cure all social ills, they have certainly had a long-term positive impact on the fabric of America.

Today’s teens and 20-somethings prone to violence, hate and knee-jerk reactions need to recall, abide by and honor the legacy of progress by peace which Dr. King preached and effectuated.

MLK referred to non-violence as “a sword that heals.” He said: “Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it.”

Testing America’s Conscience

Dr. King, the late congressman John Lewis, and other civil rights leaders of the 1960s persistently tested the nation’s conscience over racism, bias and bigotry.

Their unwavering discipline and fortitude through strict adherence to non-violence is why minds were changed and historic progress was made.

Graphic TV video and news photos of peaceful protesters being beaten bloody by police, hosed down by water cannons and attacked by police dogs caused many White Americans to take a hard look in the mirror when pondering such outrageous over reactions by law enforcement — actions which ultimately backfired.

Congressman John Lewis, then a young civil rights leader and protege of MLK, was nearly beaten to death by police during a pivotal civil rights march in Alabama that became known as “Bloody Sunday” — a common story exemplifying the unjust times.

Gen Z needs to fully recognize that peace and non-violence were at the core of Dr. King’s historic leadership.

Final Thoughts

New and evolving technologies have always been a double-edged sword. The bad comes with the good. That’s nothing new.

But today, violence and hate are proliferating online at levels unseen in modern times. That’s mostly because Gen Z is being raised with more violence and hate through social media and digital devices.

One distressing result, for example, are teens posting hate speech and depictions of graphic violence online. Violent videos might include school yard fights and parking lot brawls, gun toting brags, semi-automatic weapons fired for target practice, as well as violent live streaming “challenges” on TikTok, etc. (like assaulting innocent bystanders per the “Knockout Game” or carjacking for the thrill and audaciousness of it).

According to a recent investigation by ProPublica entitled, “How Social Media Apps Could Be Fueling Homicides Among Young Americans”:

• “Violence prevention workers described feuds that started on Instagram, Snapchat and other platforms and erupted into real life with terrifying speed.”

Statistics, academic studies and anecdotal evidence abound documenting digital technology’s negative effects on teens, especially social media. Just do a simple online search.

Additionally, in the dangerous age of Donald Trump, it’s possible that the prevalence of violence and hate may get worse before it gets better. Nevertheless, we must teach teens that hate begets hate, which can lead to a vicious downward spiral into the societal abyss.

Some sociologists think this is the path we are already on — which brings us back full circle to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

It’s essential to teach our young people that violence and hate are never the answers. We should remind them of, and explain, Dr. King’s timeless words of wisdom:

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”