I have to say that, based on my own ecclesiastical experiences in counseling young men, and upon conversations with others who have had a great deal of similar experience, coupled with anecdotal evidence that I’ve encountered and fortified by some reading on the topic, I believe that such a crisis definitely exists.
And it’s hurting a lot of people — and not merely the young men directly involved.
One illustration: Years ago, I was talking with an attractive young returned sister missionary who was finishing an undergraduate degree at an Ivy League school. She said that she and many of the other women at the school were upset with the young men in their student ward: The elders quorum routinely had organize weekend computer-game nights, and the men weren’t dating. Perhaps there were extenuating circumstances, but I can hardly imagine what they might have been. Had I been that ward’s bishop, I would not have permitted such events to be organized by the elders quorum and announced in priesthood meeting. I found that situation simply incredible.
Incidentally, may I say, while I’m at it, how much I hate the recent ad campaign for Game of War?
Maybe I’m wrong, but the campaign seems to me a shameless attempt to separate socially inept geeks from their cash by suggesting to them that they’ll found “an empire that will last forever” (which no empire ever does, even in the real world) and get Kate Upton by sitting in their basements playing a computer game. To the extent that this strategy isn’t aimed at non-achieving losers, it’s aimed at creating losers.
There. Let the hate mail begin. At least it’ll be on a fresh new subject, and probably from a distinct group of people.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In