Abantu Abaselula Bayabuza . . .

Izimbo—Yintoni Le Ingumtsalane Kuzo?

UAVERY oselula ungomnye wamawaka—mhlawumbi izigidi—zolutsha oluye lwaphenjelelwa kakhulu sisimbo esidumileyo sokunxitywa kwezikipa ezibhaliweyo. Kakade ke, izikipa ezibhaliweyo kudala zikho; kusenokwenzeka ukuba abazali bakho babezinxiba njengolutsha. Noko ke, ngokutsho kwephephancwadi iNewsweek, kukho iinguqulelo ezintsha ngesi simbo. Lumbi ulutsha ngoku “ludlisela ngezikipa ezibhalwe intetho ekrwada.”

Ezi zikipa zitsha zinemibhalo, inkoliso yayo engafanele ishicilelwe. Isusela kwenyelisa abantu bolunye uhlanga ukusa kumazwi angamanyala ngabantu ababhinqileyo. Abalandeli besi simbo babonakala bengenankxalabo ingako ngendlela abanye—kuquka abazali babo—abavakalelwa ngayo yile mibhalo ilumezayo. Xa uAndrea oneminyaka eli-18 ubudala wabuza omnye osemtsha isizathu sokunxiba kwakhe ngokukhethekileyo isikipa esikhubekisayo, “wayengazi ukuba makaphendule athini, wafane nje wangxengxeza ngokuthi, ‘Sihle’ yaye ‘Ngumka-nja ongenaso.’”

Kwiminyaka elishumi edluleyo, amakhulukhulu ezimbo aye athimba ingqalelo yolutsha. Esinye sezona zidumileyo—nesinengeniso—kwizimbo zaloo maxesha esabangela umdla omkhulu nguHula-Hoop owayethandwa kakhulu eUnited States emva phayaa ngeminyaka yee-1950. Buyel’ umva iminyaka embalwa phambi koko, ukuginya intlanzi encinane igoldfish iphilile nokubona inani labantu elinokungena kwindlwana yefoni kwakuthandwa kakhulu. Kwiminyaka yakutshanje, ibreak dance, iijean ezimbatshileyo, umdlalo weskateboard, ne-“streaking” (ukubaleka uhamba ze esidlangalaleni) zonke ezi zinto ziye zanexesha elithile ebezithandwa ngalo. Omnye umbhali weBhayibhile wathi: “Ukumila kweli hlabathi kuyadlula.” (1 Korinte 7:31) Namhlanje, izimbo ezininzi—zimbi zazo ezibubudenge nezikwayingozi—ngoku zingundaba-mlonyeni phakathi kolutsha.

Ulutsha Nezimbo Zalo Zokunxiba

Ngokomzekelo, khawucinge ngesinxibo. Ngokutsho kwephephancwadi iTime, umculo werap (ngokufuthi obizwa ngokuba yihip-hop) “ngoku kunokwenzeka ukuba ngowona uhamba phambili kurhwebo lwaseMerika kweli xesha lokhanyo, uyatyhutyha, ulawula phantse indlela yokuphila yolutsha ehlabathini lonke.” Kodwa, njengoko usazi kakuhle, umculo werap ungaphezu kokuba ube ngumculo nje. ITime yongezelela isithi: “Kananjalo umculo werap uthengiswa kakhulu ehlabathini lonke. Iimpahla zasekuhlaleni ezahlukeneyo ngokusisiseko ezinxitywa ngoonqal’ intloko baseMerika—iibhulukhwe eziwakuwaku, iiteki ekuthiwa zi-sneakers ezibiza imali eninzi, izikipa ezineminqwazi, nezinto zamatye anqabileyo—zikho kuyo yonke indawo.” Ukukhuthazwa kwazo ngokugqithiseleyo ngamaqela omculo aziwayo—naziivideo zomculo—kuye kwanempembelelo eyandayo yeendlela zokuphila zabalandeli behip-hop.

Iimpahla ezinxitywayo eziwakuwaku zibiza imali eninzi—isneakers zibiza ixabiso eliphakame kakhulu! Kodwa ulutsha oluninzi luvakalelwa kukuba zilifanele elo xabiso. Ngokutsho komnye osemtsha ogama linguMarcus, “ukuba akunxibi iimpahla eziwakuwaku, akunguye umlandeli we-hip hop.”

Ulutsha olutyekele kwinkangeleko “yobuxelegu” luyamkelwa nalo. Iijean ezikrazukileyo kunye neehempe ezirhangarhanga ezibalaselisa olu hlobo lokunxiba lwempambano ziye zabalaseliswa kakhulu ngamaqela omculo aseMerika afihlakeleyo. Omnye umbhali walubiza olu hlobo ludumileyo “lobuxelegu” ngokuthi “kukwenza ngathi ulihlwempu.” Ngokwenene, kukwenza ubonakale ngolo hlobo. Ezi mpahla zokunxiba ngokungakhathali zibiza imali eninzi. Kwandula ke, kubekho “nendlela yokunxiba yakudala.” Ngokutsho kwephephancwadi laseKhanada iMaclean’s, ezi ‘ziifashoni zeminyaka yee-1960 nezasebutsheni beyee-1970.” Abantu abakhulu baluthele nqa ulutsha njengoko luhlawula imali eninzi ngeempahla zalo—njengezihlangu ezinesoli ephakamileyo kunye neebhulukhwe ezinemilenze evuleke kakhulu emazantsi—ezibonakala ngathi zishiywe lixesha njengomculo wedisco.

Ubugcisa Obutsha Ifashoni Entsha

Izixhobo ezincinane zonxibelelwano (pocket pagers okanye iibeeper), yeminye imizekelo ebonisa indlela ulutsha olunengqondo yokuyila olunokuthi ngayo luguqule yonke into ekubeni yifashoni entsha. Izixhobo zonxibelelwano ekuqaleni ezazisetyenziswa ngoogqirha nangabanye abantu abanobuchule ekunxityelelwana nabo rhoqo, ngokukhawuleza ziye zaziwa kakhulu kwabo bashishina ngeziyobisi ezidolophini. Ezi zixhobo zonxibelelwano zenza kwalula kwabo bathengisa iziyobisi ukuba bacwangcise iintlanganiso nabo banokuba ngabathengi. Ngokutsho kweThe New York Times, “ukusetyenziswa ngokubanzi [kwee-pocket pager] kwazenza zaluphawu lwabo basebenzisa iziyobisi.” Akumangalisi ke ngoko, ukuba iibhodi zezikolo elizweni lonke ziye zaqalisa ukuziphelisa izixhobo ezincinane zonxibelelwano esikolweni!

Noko ke, zitsho phantsi. Izixhobo zonxibelelwano ziye zaninzi kakhulu phakathi kolutsha olusezidolophini. Lumbi luzisebenzisela injongo yazo, njengezixhobo zonxibelelwano, ukunceda abazali balo ukuba balwazi kakuhle apho lukhoyo okanye baqhagamshelane nalo kwimeko yongxamiseko. Kodwa kolunye ulutsha, esi sixhobo songezelela nje kwifashoni ekhoyo. Ngokutsho kweTimes, “abakwishumi elivisayo baqhusheka izixhobo zonxibelelwano kwiingxowa zabo abaziphathayo, kwiipokotho zedyasi nasezibhantini. Zikho izixhobo zonxibelelwano eziziiwotshi, ezifakwa emqaleni njengamaqhina, ezizizinto zokubhala, zikho izixhobo zonxibelwano eziluhlaza, ezipinki nabomvu, eziqhelekileyo ezimnyama namdaka ngebala.” Nangona bambi abantu abakhulu ezi zixhobo zonxibelelwano ngokuzenzekelayo besazinxulumanisa nokusetyenziswa kweziyobisi, elinye igosa lamapolisa kwisiXeko saseNew York lithi: “Yeyona nto ithengiswa kakhulu kuluhlu lwezinto. Iqaqobana labantwana abanazo lisebenzisa iziyobisi, kodwa abaninzi abazisebenzisi. Sisimbo nje.”

Izimbo—Ezingaqhelekanga Neziyingozi

Ngoxa izimbo zokunxiba zisenokunyamezeleka kwiimeko ezithile zize kwezinye zikhubekise, ezinye izimbo ezidumileyo zibonakala zigabadele gqitha. Ukuze akhangeleke enciphile njengababonisi beempahla abaziwayo, amantombazana amaninzi aselula anesimbo sokunciphisa umzimba ngokutya kancinane—engacingi kangako ngokuya kwenzeka kwimpilo yawo nakwintlalo-ntle yawo. UAlvin Rosenbaum ubhala oku: “Ukunciphisa umzimba ngokutya kancinane yinto esoloko isezingqondweni zabantu. Funda ngenyameko naluphi na uludwe lweencwadi ezilishumi kwezona zithengwa kakhulu yaye ngokuqhelekileyo uya kufumana incwadi efundisa ngokunciphisa umzimba ngokutya kancinane.” Lo kaRosenbaum utsho ngokuphandle ukuba uninzi lwezi ncwadi zaziwayo zikhuthaza iindlela zokunciphisa umzimba ezithandabuzekayo. Iingcali ezininzi ziyakugxeka oku kunqina kuthandwayo kuba kuphakamisa iingxaki ezibangelwa kukutya ngokungalungelelananga—njengesifo esiyianorexia nervosa (ukoyika ukutyeba kakhulu)—phakathi kwabeshumi elivisayo.a

Ezinye izimbo zokuphucula imbonakalo yobuqu zisenokuba yingozi ngokufanayo—yaye zingaqheleki. Ngokutsho kwenqaku elikwiNewsweek, “ukuvamba [tattooing], ubuchule babantu bamandulo nezikrelemnqa, kuye kwazibalula nako kulo msinga wefashoni ukhoyo.” Kuphenjelelwa ngumzekelo wabadlali bemiboniso-bhanyabhanya abadumileyo nowabo bacula umculo werock onesingqi esinamandla, lumbi ulutsha lufuna imivambo eyenziwe ngocoselelo emizimbeni yalo. Izilumkiso zoogqirha ngokuphathelele isifo esiyihepatitis nokungafuni komzimba i-inki ekwenziwa ngayo imivambo akubonakali ngathi kubenza ixhala.

Okanye kuthekani ngesimbo esihlathuzelis’ amanwele esibizwa ngokuba kukugqobhoza? Nakuba ukugqobhoza iindlebe kusenokuba kulisiko kumabhinqa ngokwenkqubo yezinye izizwe, bambi bade badlulela ngaphaya kokusengqiqweni ngokugqobhoza imingxuma emalwimini nakwiinkaba zabo abajingisa kuyo izinto ezenziwe ngamatye anqabileyo. Nabani na osemtsha ozimisele ngokupheleleyo ukukhubekisa abazali bakhe, ufaka icici elikhulu empumlweni.

Izimbo—Ziphenjelelwa Yintoni?

Incwadi ethi Adolescents and Youth ichaza isimbo “njengefashoni esuka nje ithi vumbululu ixesha elifutshane ngokufana nehlelo lonqulo. Ngokwengcaciso izimbo zizinto nje zokwexeshana nezingenamkhondo, yaye zixhaphakile ngokukodwa phakathi kwabeshumi elivisayo.” Kodwa yintoni eyenza izigidi zolutsha ukuba zinxibe iijean eziwakuwaku okanye ziphathe izixhobo ezincinane zonxibelelwano? Abenzi nababhengezi baya kuthanda ukuva impendulo engokwenzululwazi kuloo mbuzo. Inqaku elikwiphephancwadi laseBritani iThe Economist lavuma: “Izimbo neefashoni zibonakala zizizinto ezingenakucaciswa ngokusengqiqweni.”

Noko ke, incwadi ethi Adolescents and Youth, inikela ingcaciso, isithi: “Zininzi izinto ezibangela ukuduma kwesimbo esithile: umnqweno wokutsala ingqalelo; ulangazelelo lokuvumelana noko kuxatyiswa ngoontanga; ukufuna ukuba ngumntu owahlukileyo nokwiqela elahlukileyo; nokutsaleleka kwizinto ezingaqhelekanga.” Enye inkwenkwe ekwishumi elivisayo yakubeka ngokulula oku isithi: “Ukuba kwisikolo semfundo ephakamileyo [isikolo esiyisekondari] lixesha elifanelekileyo lokwenza izinto eziphambeneyo uze emva koko wahlukane nazo.”

IBhayibhile ayikugwebi ukuziphatha njengosemtsha. Enyanisweni, ithi: “Bantu basebatsha, bunandipheni ubutsha benu. Vuyani ngoxa nisebatsha. Yenzani enifuna ukukwenza, yaye nilandele iminqweno yentliziyo yenu.” Phofu ke, iBhayibhile ilandelisa elo cebiso ngesi silumkiso: “Kodwa khumbulani ukuba uThixo uya kunigweba ngako konke enikwenzayo.” (INtshumayeli 11:9, Today’s English Version) Ngenxa yeli cebiso liphilileyo, umntu omtsha ongumKristu unokusabela njani kwizimbo zamvanje? Ngaba ufanele ube ngowokuqala ukulandela isimbo esithile? Inqaku lethu elilandelayo kolu ngcelele liya kunikela amacebiso athile aluncedo ngokuphathelele oku.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 15]

“Ezi zikipa . . . Ngumka-nja ongenaso.” UAvery oneminyaka eli-17 ubudala

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16]

Ukugqobhoza amalungu omzimba nokuvamba kuye kwaduma kakhulu