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Kānaka Maoli bear the brunt of afflictions introduced by invasive foreigners. In the 18th and 19th centuries, infectious diseases introduced by foreigners decimated the Kanaka Maoli (aboriginal Hawaiian) population. This demographic holocaust set the stage for the insurgency that began in 1887, which turned into the ongoing belligerent occupation that began in 1893. Consequently, since the 20th century, Kānaka Maoli have the highest rates of chronic diseases and social problems in their own homeland. In 2020, news media reports indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic is hitting Kānaka Maoli the hardest in their own homeland. Who bears the brunt of social media addiction in the Hawaiian Islands today? When it comes to the pandemic of social media addiction here in the 21st century, who is being hit hardest by it in Ko Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina (Hawaiian Islands)? I have a strong suspicion of the answer to that question, which I will express as follows: The Hypothesis of Social Media Addiction in the Lāhui of the 21st Century Kānaka Maoli (aboriginal Hawaiians)--who are the vast majority of the Lāhui Hawaiʻi Aloha ʻĀina (Hawaiian national body)--rank highest in social media addiction out of all ethnic groups living in the Hawaiian Islands today.
What is the biggest opportunity cost of social media addiction in the Lāhui today? Hawaiian language fluency is arguably the biggest opportunity cost of social media addiction in the Lāhui today. Historically, the insurgent population of the Hawaiian Islands has never succeeded in obtaining a bilateral treaty of cession for the acquisition of Hawaiian territory and sovereignty by a foreign country. Therefore, the continuity of the Hawaiian Islands as a sovereign and independent country remains unbroken, despite 133 years (at the time of this writing) of insurgency and belligerent occupation. Thus, Hawaiian nationality has never ceased to exist despite the ongoing processes of genocide by denationalization, and settler colonialism, imposed by the foreign occupation upon the Hawaiian national population. Likewise, ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) has never ceased to be the national language of the Hawaiian Islands. However, a majority of adults in the Lāhui has yet to regain the Hawaiian language fluency of its ancestors. Fortunately, technology now makes this dream realistically attainable as a short-term goal, empowering the Lāhui—and people of Hawaiʻi in general—with the historic opportunity to do so by their own volition. Most folks in the Lāhui today have a device with internet access. Additionally, free apps are now available to learn ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi through self study, and through online meetups conducted by video conferencing. The best example has to be Duolingo, which began offering Hawaiian language in 2018. This was nothing short of an historical breakthrough which shifted the paradigm of Hawaiian language revitalization, from a distant future realized by successive generations of immersion school students, to a challenge that can be seized by all generations living in the present. In short, the path is cleared for the Lāhui to enjoy a rapid transition back to fluency in the Hawaiian national language. There is no clearer sign of the health and existence of a country than to see the majority of its population speaking fluently in its national language. Consider the liberal amount of time and energy spent by the Lāhui around the clock, every day, on social media, communicating in a foreign language (English). Imagine if that time and energy was instead invested into use of the Duolingo app to learn ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi? Would that not catalyze a rapid transition back to Hawaiian language fluency? Can you think of a better restorative medicine for the problems faced by the Lāhui today, which originate from the ongoing historical injustices brought by invasive foreigners?
Why is the Hawaiian Language Synonymous with Hawaiian Nationality?
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