The environment and lifestyle of the world have changed significantly in the last couple of decades. Technological advances and recent innovations have changed the way people think and live. The lifestyle has changed significantly, especially for the current generation and the teenagers. Technology and recent innovations have contributed in a significant way to bring about this change. Thus, when we compare the younger generation today with the older generations of yesteryears, one finds a noteworthy gap in their way of thinking and style of living. However, with those lifestyle changes, one comes across different and new problems faced by the present generation. As a matter of fact, some of the problems like cyber bulling, social media insecurities, job related issues and others which the teenagers of the present generation had to deal with were unheard of among the teenagers of the earlier generations. It is a general misconception of the people that the recent changes have greatly simplified the lives of the teenagers.
My intended goal in this paper is to show the problems faced by the present generation of teenagers in comparison to the teenagers of the earlier generations. I have a personal interest in this particular concept since I also belong to the same group of teenagers who are facing the kinds of problems which were unheard of in the earlier times. My personal interest in the topic stems from my experiences and the problems which I faced as a teenager belonging to the current generation. Despite the economic developments and advancing technologies, the youth of today remain emotionally disconnected from their families and confront emotional challenges and new issues in the more globalized interconnected world. Is the younger generation today facing much more problems as compared to the older generation?
Living in modern societies and amidst advanced technologies have indeed made lives a lot easier and convenient. The youth of today are particularly fascinated by the new technologies and are much more tech-savvy as compared to the youth of older generations. With new technologies and changed lifestyles come a host of new issues that were not there for the earlier generations.
Excessive use of the internet and social media networks means spending less time with family and friends. While online interactions allow freedom, convenience, they also create unrealistic expectations about body image, relationships, and happiness (Divecha). Fry, Igielnik and Patten are of the opinion that the primary reason for the problems faced by the teenagers of the present generation is “become they are more detached from major institutions such as political parties, religion, the military and marriage” Today’s youth is more aware and more extravagant when it comes to their desires and wishes. They will follow the luxurious lifestyle of their friends, even if they are not able to afford. As a result, they may face unnecessary tension and social pressures (Dawn). When checked by the elders, they may not like as they feel that they are grown up to take their own decisions. However, they are still not old enough to take responsibility on their own shoulders.
Social media have become an indispensable part of the present-day youths and it provides various kinds of benefits to them. Cyberbullying and cybercrimes are on the rise because of the anonymity of the web, and the girls are especially vulnerable (Divecha). Peer pressures and excessive competition leave a tremendous effect on the mental conditions of the young, leaving them anxious and bad-tempered (Dawn.com). As the youth are active on social media, they may face discrimination based on their gender, caste or religion. As they are still at a young and tender age, they become a victim of emotional pressures and disorder (Dawn). As a result, they may develop low self-esteem and get dominated by others.
Family issues and communication gap are another significant problems which the youths need to take care of. There is a marked generational gap between the young teenagers, their parents and the older generation. There is a growing rift between the teenagers and their parents because of the communication gap. Divecha comments how the students who enter the college at the present times are afraid of making mistakes as they have been over-parented. The teenagers of the present age are close to that of their parents but “income inequality that demoralizes their hopes for the future”. The inequality that the young generation perceive causes havoc in their life and is a cause of misery of their life. With little emotional support from families and widening communication gap, those issues can take on a colossal form. Six out of every ten teens is usually rude and short-tempered. The youth in the present time face the pressures of enjoying quality food and health care. The life of the teens today gets shaped by income and societal inequalities (Divecha). The youth of today has been widely outclassed because of the communication gap which exists between the people belonging to the older generation and the teenagers. “The main problem is the communication gap between them and their elders — the former believing themselves to be old enough for taking their own decisions for matters personal or social while the latter just refuse to hand over this responsibility to them” (Dawn.com). Teenagers have developed their own mechanism to take care of the problems which they face and do not really believe in taking the help of the older and experienced generation. The communication gap creates a distance and difference between the teenagers and their parents. The resistance that the teenagers get from their parents is a cause of the rift between them. Morevoer, peer pressure that often leads then to disobey the elders (Dawn.com.). Peer pressure compels the teenagers to become more competitive and they want to create a superior image about themselves in front of the world. “Some people are naturally competitive and they strive to act in ways that could help settle their ‘image’ either to impress or intimidate others” (Dawn.com.).
The problem of obesity is another major problem faced by the teenagers of the present generation which was not faced by the teenagers of the earlier generations. The teenagers of the present time depend a lot on fast food in contrast to the previous generations who relied on the home-made food. This eating of unhealthy foods leaves an impact on their physical and mental health. The young generation of the 21st Century is facing issue like obesity and health related problem (Gale Swartz 127). According to these authors, obesity disrupts the mental equilibrium of the young generation that the people of the previous generation did not have to face. The teenagers belonging to the present generation to eat more fast foods as well as readymade foods unlike the people of the older generation who used to depend on the homemade foods. Gale Swartz said that “this is one of the reasons for the ever-decreasing life span of the present generation people”. As the current generations teenagers consume a lot of fast food, they are overweight. Obesity leads to health repercussions for the teenagers of the present generation. Thus, unhealthy eating and living of the young generation of the present age shortens the lifespan of the people.
The younger generation feels that they are more educated and smarter than the older generation. It is because of the world of the internet they live in and the use of the fast-paced technologies. The young adults of the present time are better educated as compared to the “silent generation “as the percentage of those who have completed the four years at college has risen (Fry, Igielnik & Patten). Still, despite higher education, the current generation faces issue of unemployment. It is generally seen that the people belonging to the current generation are more educated than the previous generations and in a way more skilled. Yet they are being unable to find adequate jobs as per their qualifications and this has contributed in a significant manner towards the large number of problems which they face in the present times. Furthermore, the authors are of the opinion that the introduction of women folks in the workforce has greatly enhanced the level of competition and this has adversely affected the prospects of many teenagers. The increasing population of the world has also added in a significant towards the level of competition faced by these teenagers in field of job procurement (Madhuka). The youth faces the problem of unemployment today, unlike the earlier times when having adequate educational qualifications and skills was enough to get a good job it is not so in the present times. Although academic success can help an individual in getting a well-paid job, it is not sure as to how many of the younger generations can actually complete their education (Madhuka). The educated young people are an asset for that of the country.
The younger generations prefer to live in metropolitan areas, and there is a sharp rise in the number of working women in the workforce. Silent Generation indicates a group of old Americans who are like grandparents. It was found that among the silent generation women there was only a meagre 9 % who had completed the four years at college (Fry, Igielnik & Patten). The millennial women have 36 % completed their college education and 57 % of the millennial did not get married. The millennial generation is not only better educated in number but also highly educated in terms of degrees. About 29% of millennial men carry a bachelor degree as compared to their Silent counterparts (Fry, Igielnik & Patten). The current generation is undoubtedly better and highly educated as compared to the earlier generations. However, having a degree does not necessarily means getting a good or the desired job. Those statistics point to societal shift in relation to education and marriage although the younger generation is better educated, they face issues that were not faced by the older generations because of the modern lifestyles, communication gap and technological changes.
According to Madhuka, the young people are an asset to the country but experience more difficulty as compared to their predecessors. The life of the young people have become a lot more complicated in the present age and the socio-economic issues of the present time compel the youth to face much mental turmoil .The Great Recession left its impact on the three generations- Gen- Y, Gen- X and that of the boomers as it hit the incomes and pensions (Thompson).The boomers face the wealth crisis while the Gen-X face the crisis related to income. The present age suffers from the brunt of economic problems and has hampered the capacity to get an education and climb the social ladder. It has never been so risky to invest, and no mortgages are safe today. It is a great irony of the Great Recession that is still showing its repercussions on the oncoming generations. Thompson points out that “Young people are struggling in record numbers to find work, leave home, and start a family, according to 2010 Census figures released today” It is ironical that a housing market crisis that started much earlier is still impacting the current generation. The receding housing market left a negative impact on the spending and income for a long time (Fry, Igielnik & Patten).
The current generation finds itself in a race between education and the technology and globalization forces. The present age suffers from the brunt of economic problems and those with low education attainment have to deal with unemployment and frustration. The volatile market of the present age have led to the crash of the stock market that is a cause of severe concern for the young (Thompson). The boomers have to face that of the wealth crisis and the Gen-X on the other hand has to face the crisis related to income. The Recession has hit hard their income and threatened that of their pension (Thompson). The Gen-Y on the other hand is concerned about the future since they are not able to make money that will have consequences in their later life. The present age suffers from the brunt of economic problems and the men who have got low education attainment have to witness the falling of their real income that can cause them great amount of frustration.
The socio-economic issue like unemployment disturbs the teenagers and they take recourse to drugs and alcohol to alleviate their mental turmoil. The stress that the present generation feels on account of the competition has consequences in relation to their mental health (Madhuka). Is education the main cause for frustration of the young generation? The increased population along with the socio-economic changes have wreaked havoc on the life of the young generation. The youth in the present time find it burdensome to provide food and health care to that of the elderly population. The life of the young people have become a lot more complicated in the present age and the socio-economic issues of the present time compels the youth to face a lot of mental turmoil. Substantial growth in the more elderly population too places a burden on the younger generation. The youth are made responsible for providing food, healthcare and other facilities for the expanding elderly population (Madhuka). Consequently, the current generation faces the stress of weakening socioeconomic forces and need to fulfill those vast responsibilities. The increased population and growing competition plus other -economic changes have wreaked havoc on the life of the young generation.
Gale Swartz (120) states that ‘Postmodernism is a reaction to modernism” and how it has taken a firm root in the society today. Different ethical issues such as abortion, capitalism, abortion, and sexuality are the major problems today of the new century (Gale Swartz 125). The older generations did not face the alarming proportions of these social issues. AIDS is already an epidemic, and an increasing number of the youth are getting drawn towards crimes and are involved in violence as stated by Gale Swartz (126). Issues like racism and discrimination can lead to low self-esteem. Male domination over women can lead to emotional disorder (Dawn.com). Those problems are a reality today and faced by the younger generations. Another important facet that is revealed by this article is that the young people who are not have the money for going to school are often forced into the ugly world of child labor that has a tremendous effect on their mental condition. Is it not being bothered with politics that makes the children vulnerable to the anti-social activity? Those issues destroy the life of young developing teenagers and renders them to be mentally unfit.
The young generation of the present age experiences more difficulty as compared to their predecessors. Unemployment can lead to other socio-economic issues such as substance abuse and stress that can take a toll on the mental health of the teenagers. The teenagers belonging to the present generation are a lost generation as they face a lot of problems which were not faced by the people belonging to the older generation. The present generation has to go through a struggle to find a suitable job so that they can start their family. Unemployment, despite having good education is perhaps one of the major problems which the teenagers belonging to the present generation face. Those with lower education attainment will find it difficult to get jobs and will see their incomes fall. The good news is that the current generations are more aware and willing to learn. All they need is a direction and they are eager to work hard. As they are less biased and more diverse, the seniors can expect more cooperation from them (Divecha). Only, the earlier generations should know how to handle these teenagers and motivate them to follow the right directions, when to comes to education and social media usage. One cannot blame the younger generation for all their mistakes. Parents and teachers have a role and responsibility here as the younger generation looks for ma more nuanced parenting (Divecha). Building close relationships and allowing free communication can undoubtedly fill the generation and communication gap. With the right emotional support and improved in-person relationships, one can raise a responsible and sensible generation of teens. It is clear that although the current generation lives in modern times is highly educated and is tech-savvy, there are a number of issues and problem it faces that were not present for the earlier generations. It is essential to develop an understanding of the difficulties faced by the teenagers of the present generation and the causes for it.
Conclusion
To conclude on the subject, it is apparent that the present generation faces much more complex problems than the earlier generations. The changing social landscape and advancing technology have raised issues like communication barriers, unemployment, obesity, cybercrime and the generation gap between the teenagers and the older people. The emergence of mobile technology is leaving a negative impact on the social and mental health of the young. Both the young and the old should be made aware of the problems and need to make efforts. The society needs to be educated about the problems faced by the teenagers and what the older generation can do to eradicate those issues. Regular conversation with the young and societal connections can provide psychological support. The older and the younger generations should work together on these issues to build a healthy society and community. If the younger people are facing problems, the older people should take the responsibility and address those problems. It can hence be concluded from the research that employment can help the young people in maintaining their mental equilibrium and it can help them in leading a satisfied life. Counselling can act as a remedy that can help the children in getting over their mental worries and strengthen them internally. The parents should act as a guide for the children instead of providing instruction to them. In the event of the children getting the proper amount of support from their family and the social environment they would be able to overcome their problems pertaining to anxiety and depression. This conclusion will prove to be helpful in meeting the needs of the children so that they do not go in the wrong track. This research can help in saving lives of the teenagers and it can help their family in getting proper support so that they do not evolve to be individuals suffering from depression. It is important to listen attentively to the problems of the young children so that their grievances are addressed and they emerge to be mentally strong individuals.
References
Dawn.com. “Problems Faced By the Youth Today.” Dawn, 9 Feb. 2008, www.dawn.com/news/965881?qt1m4dc=1. Accessed 10 Aug. 2018
Divecha, Diana. “How Teens Today Are Different from Past Generations.” greatergood, 20 Oct. 2017, greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_teens _today_are_different_from _past_generations. Accessed 10 Aug. 2018
Fry, Richard, Igielnik, Ruth & Eileen Patten. “How Millennials Today Compare With Their Grandparents 50 Years Ago.” Pew Research Center. 16 Mar, 2018. www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/03/16/how-millennials-compare-with-their-grandparents/. Accessed 10 Aug. 2018
Gale Swartz, Sharlene, “Facing the Youth in the 21st Century”. researchgate, vol. 1, no. 1, 1999, pp. 120-133.
Madhuka. “Some People Feel That Young People Face More Pressure Today Than The Equivalent Age Groups Did In Previous Generations. Others Think They Have A Much Easier Life Than Their Parents Did.” Testbig, 7 Dec. 2013, www.testbig.com/ielts-essays/some-people-feel-young-people-face-more-pressure-today-equivalent-age-groups-did. Accessed 10 Aug. 2018
Thompson, Derek. “Are Today’s Youth Really a Lost Generation.” the Atlantic, 22 Sep. 2011, www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/09/are-todays-youth-really-a-lost-generation/245524/. Accessed 10 Aug. 2018
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