Young People these days..! (A Social commentary)

We’ve all been young at some point or another in our lives..  and there’s that whole philosophy about being Young at Heart, and the Psychology of

looking after our Inner-Child and so on.  BUT, I look through my eyes that have been `seeing’ for 43 years, and what I see around me simply flabbergasts me, astounds me, shocks me, sickens me..not to mention … aggravates me!

People of my generation, and before..  seem to have a certain Social respect, an obligation to keeping up standards and norms.. having a different kind of (old fashioned?) work ethics, an approach to sexuality and committed relationships..  all of which seem to be in small doses with young people these days!

Times are changing – I agree. We’re all looking to the future, and how humanity is evolving towards the future. But that does not mean we throw out everything..  and be in a hurry to grasp some new way of life.

It is sad to see that thee are many hundreds if not thousands of young people, who have had some trouble or trauma in their pasts, and are struggling to heal and better themselves, and to take up their places in modern society. But many of us have had those – and I mean many of my generation and those who came before me. We just didn’t talk about our past troubles so much. And we just got on with society as best we can…without taking it out on society or each other!

But  young people these days..  with all the counselling & social services that are available to them – seem to grow more self-obsessed, seem to take more liberties with so many things …yet don’t seem to allow others those very same, and generally tend to act as if the world owed them!  They forget that the World owes everyone..  only because we all owe the world everything.

Our City centers and Towns take on a totally different vibe at certain times..  say weekends and evenings, where we struggle to see anyone older hanging out. (I saw that in Hastings Town few years ago).  No. Instead it’s a case of teenagers, pre-teens pretending to be teens, and very young adult.. gathering in their masses..  swamping the social habitats.. The buses and trains, pubs and clubs, streets and malls ..are all over-run with these modern day urban tribes and groups – very loud noises, anti-social and intimidating behaviours.. all screaming to be notices..  all saying `am all grown up’  (and  that’s the irony).  A lot of hot air and noise, but all I see are gradual social degradation and erosion of values..  !

I see so much property destruction – bus stops, seats in trains, innocent street plants and trees with broken branches, urine on sides of streets, wrappers and bottles and rubbish..   loud flashy mobile phones ..    to mention just a few. (Granted not all these are attributable to young people).

I mean..  can these people really afford such expensive phones and tarrifs? What sort of jobs are they in?  Are they saving up? Or just earn and burn their cash as fast as it reaches their pockets?  And talking of pockets.. what about those trousers that hang so low that I just wonder why even call it that or wear one?  Why not just walk around Town with underwear and boxers?   This is just scratching the surface..  

On the one hand, just like you all, I work hard for a future..a future for us all…for the Earth, and for Humanity…But on the other hand, I ask myself the question…all for what?  I don’t  like the way society is evolving..  and I wonder why we should work so hard to `save the planet’ ?   Each generation is supposed to hand over care and responsibility of the World to the next.. But, quite frankly, at the moment,  I struggle to find much hope and positive regard within the next generation..

My partner and others have said that by being so vocal on this matter, I stand the risk of alienating many of the other Young people with whom we do have a good regard and relationships or contacts. Yes, am aware of it. And of course, we can’t generalise everything. So these things don’t apply to all Young people.. but not just a few either. The amount s more than just a few. So it’s worth flagging up..

For a long while, I used to think -that I had all the time and life ahead of me. But you know what? I am 43.. and if statistics are anything to go by, I have a few decades of  quality life left before old age cripples me..  I am not young..  though I am rather small in physical stature and may not look it, I have a huge amount of grey hair, and those wrinkles are on my face more and more. Natural speed and agility is going down.. At times I do have to walk with a stick to protect my bad back, and yes I need glasses to read!  .  At the same time, I am fully aware of society and trends, the modern world, the hi-tech world, the cyber-world, the fetish world..and more.   When life began  for me, there was no TV. Man had only just landed on the moon. But now I hold a phone in my hand that has more computing power than the computer that was in the Craft that had taken the first Man to the moon.  Am old, bit not so old that am blind to the nature of the World today.

And it is that which affords me much retrospect and a certain amount of aged wisdom. I can bluntly look at the world and make these types of comments. Age has in some way given me the position to sit in judgement of the Young people now (am sure my elders thought the same of me some decade ago 🙂

So, I like to hear the thoughts and comments – from people of my generation, and the Young people.

-Mani Navasothy

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