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Historically, the Amish settlement in Lancaster, Pennsylvania happened sometime between the year 1720 and 1730. To this day, their American
beginnings remains truly unique compared to most, in that they were a Godly and close knit people that helped one another while still holding on
to unfamiliar ways that shunned innovation such as the electrical grid light bulbs, automobiles, radio and television. There are many that may not know that kerosene lamps is their only source of light at night. The older Amish continue to stick to their old ways while many of the Amish
youth are ending up seeking greener pastures, so to speak.
With the advent of high tech advances across America, and the inquisitive nature of humans, the Amish are today subject to mass communications like never before and at the same time their very innocence and their delicate culture lies in the balance because of new inventions that bring the
entire world right to their doorstep.
Since the birth of the internet and the smart cellphone, their very world is about to change drastically, but possibly not for the good of the family and their long standing traditions. How will the cellphone affect their lives? Their extremely sheltered life now remains threatened by the introduction of the cellphone. While there is also a variety of ways to keep it charged, which could include solar or a generator, the youth of the Amish have taken an extreme liking to the cellphone, social networking and the mainstream media and those architects of social and cultural change. This could very well be the catalyst that will negatively affect the Amish society, and so much so it will become the end of the innocence.
Lancaster County Amish teens can now be found on Instagram, Facebook & Spotify. One Amish teen, Rebecca Fisher posted a video on Tik Tok which
initially went viral and received 430,000 views after updates. She is only one of many Amish teens who are now under the spell of the net.
As for the Amish and their long standing traditions and their Godly ambitions, will a wide worldly road lead to greener pastures or become the
end of the innocence?