Yes, Hong Kong has serious problems with a range of social issues that previous generations never had to deal with - a sorry list of highly regrettable blemishes like family disputes that end in sons murdering parents, or a parent killing his or her child. Add to this grim picture an ongoing rash of suicides among young people, plus an increase in the brutality of domestic violence and a skyrocketing divorce rate. What a mess we're in!

What is the "match" that's igniting all this ghastly behavior across most levels of our society? For a possible answer let's go back a couple of years to two cases that caused shockwaves of revulsion: First a 20-year-old man killed his parents then ghoulishly dismembered their bodies. The day after this ghastly crime a youth, 18, stabbed his father to death and seriously wounded his stepmother.

It turned out that both of these young killers were unemployed, and addicted to video games. Thus we can conjure up a mental picture of two young males shut in their rooms at home whiling away hour after hour playing violent video games where the hero overcomes colossal difficulties to beat the "baddies" and emerges victorious on a battlefield dotted with scores of bodies of combatants, each killed with excessive savagery.

Could it be that by watching such deeds endlessly on a bloody battlefield of gory death susceptible young minds begin to fantasize that they, too, could become revered gladiators by following the example of the conquering hero? Although deep down they know it's only a video, not real life, yet in their fantasies the distinction between imagination and reality becomes increasingly blurrier. For the few who are particularly emotionally unstable and without meaningful commitments in their lives, it does not take much to push them over the edge and into the world of violent make-believe they immersed themselves in.

At mealtimes their parents nag them about getting out and finding a job instead of locking themselves in their rooms and watching so much silly trash. A young temper boils over with rage; the kitchen with its large sharp knife is just a few footsteps away

The question we must ask ourselves is, just how much are young minds being swayed by the IT and movie fantasies that are part of life today?

Further, are parents aware of the many "safety nets" that are now available to the young of both sexes to help them through times of acute stress? The police have a Family Conflict and Sexual Violence Policy Unit to prevent abuse of either the young or the aged, and to counter domestic or sexual violence in a family. The Youth Services Hotline has specialists covering such fields as emotional problems, suicide prevention service, counselling service for psychotropic substance abusers, district youth outreach social work services, even an overnight outreach service dedicated to young night drifters.

Now let us look into other aspects of the pernicious influence of IT, which for some (specially immature kids) provides the joy of venting their nasty side on social media, where you can join in online conversations to put in your views, then sign off and return to anonymity - though you might have tweeted an appalling message suggesting that the subject is "a stupid, ugly moron who should jump off the IFC".

Then there is the question of inter-personal relations, and how we behave toward one another. You couldn't squeeze onto your bus in the morning and when you got to work had to queue up for minutes to get into a lift. Naturally you arrived late and quite flustered. A nearby workmate grins and says sarcastically, "Nice of you to turn up in time for morning tea - ha ha."

Do you vent your spleen or treat the jibe as a joke, riposting: "Thanks - I'll have a coffee on you." And if you made an angry reply, how long was it that your feelings stayed "on the boil"?

Or do you carry that "chip" on your shoulder for the rest of the day, and give your marriage partner a sour "spray" or two over dinner that night?

It is appropriate to mention here that in the last 20 years the divorce rate has increased almost three times. And the biggest casualties in such a break-up are of course the children. Whether it's the husband or wife who is the main cause of the split, it's the wife you generally gets custody of the children, with the ex-husband helping pay for their upkeep and education.

A generation or so back this formula seemed to be the best solution, with the wife and children retaining the family home and the husband moving out. But now with the housing situation so critical how many husbands, especially those not in the wrong, would surrender their home to an erring ex-wife for the benefit of their children?

The author is a former journalist and civil servant.

(HK Edition 05/26/2015 page9)