The social media generation

A few weekends ago, I went to visit a dear friend when I observed something disturbing from his teen son. My friend, let's call her Martha, has raised her high school son single handedly. I celebrate her this Mother's Day season. This' what happened that Saturday.

Here I was with my friend catching up on how life has been in the living room over some sizzling tea when the lanky son rudely walked past us without greeting us and went upstairs.

"Hey these days Tim does not greet people?" I asked the mother in shock.

That was some rude and unacceptable behaviour I cannot condone in my house.

"Yes nowadays he just passes people like that. I have tried to explain to him that it is rude, but it's like I am talking to myself. It was really stressing me, so I let him be. Please accept my apologies for that rude behaviour," my friend said with remorse.

I deeply felt sorry for my friend because I know how she has struggled to bring up that troublesome boy, doing her best to give him the best in life, as a single mom. For some reason, the boy has never accepted he has no father and in protest he has exhibited some rebellious tendencies.

To avoid taking my friend on a self-blame path, I did not dwell there. We went on with our chit chat and prepared lunch together. When it was time to eat, I noticed, our dear boy was not coming downstairs, so I asked the mother if she can call him we eat together. And the mother's response was more startling.

"I have already told him, he says he will eat later," my friend told me. "But I have not seen you go upstairs neither have you shouted his name (like I shout to my kids)," I asked.

"I 'WhatsApped' him, he prefers that mode of communication, when I go to his room, he gets offended," my friend responded. "And what is he doing upstairs for all those hours?" I prodded.

"Most of the time he's playing games or betting," the mum replied. Clearly there was a real problem with our teen Tim.

Tim represents the new crop of babies born in the late 90s and 2,000s called the Snapchat and Instagram generation.

While some of them are well cultured, there is Tim type that is uncultured and a headache to their parents especially, single parents. These kids need to be told some things straight up. They are reckless, don't care and really troublesome.

Basic Manners: The fact that you have 2 million followers on Instagram and Twitter, does not mean you are too big to embrace good manners. You must learn to greet people and respect your mother.

Proper grammar: That irritating xoxo language you speak with your peers on social media is Greek to most of us. Please when addressing us whether verbally or through SMS please do not 'xoxo' us. Just use good old English.

Embrace hard work and patience; Hard work pays and there is nothing like instant wealth. And please don't start us on that Sh221million Kakamega winner. Work hard child. It pays.