Youth

Finish the following sentence in your head: Young people of today are ____________. 

Was your answer a positive quality or a negative one? If it was negative, you’re the norm. If it was a positive answer, then you're an outlier, a rarity, and someone that deserves a metal; because the youth of today, are generally seen as spoiled, lazy, distracted and undeservingly entitled individuals. I could back that statement with countless personal examples, however, this article published by the Globe and Mail is enough. Are Todays Youth worse off of just lazy and entitled?

The funny thing is that the state of youth today was shaped by the adults of this world. Our parents, the baby boomers, grew up in a time where economic security was practically guaranteed to the educated population that chose the career path of life; a time where one single income was enough to afford the luxuries or a Mortgage, a car and all of the other necessities to support a happy and health family. They were taught that nothing could stop them if they worked hard to graduate from school, and at the time, they were absolutely right.

So when they finally decided to have kids, they raised them with the same high expectations in life. It was simple, you graduated from a post-secondary institution, and then you landed a career, bought a house, had kids and lived happily ever after. It should be that simple right? Wrong. The result of that hopeful upbringing created a generation of overeducated, underemployed individuals that are STILL WAITING for their high paying career position that they paid tens of thousands of dollars for in school. This article does a great job at explaining this issue in a dry-funny way Why Generation Y yuppies are unhappy.  

The North American economy isn't what it used to be. Despite the fact that Canada is one of the most educated populations on earth, the youth unemployment rate

 (15-29 years old) is now at a record breaking high according to the following article entitled: The Young and Jobless. If young people seem entitled, it's because they were raised to expect more from the world. If they seem lazy, it's probably because they're overeducated for the position that they're currently occupying, and simply lack the motivation that it takes to put all of their efforts into it. 

Adults are essentially the reason that so many young people are unsatisfied, and their negative generalization of young people isn’t helping improve anything. It is wasted wind. There is a problem with the world today and complaining about, or insulting an entire generation hasn't worked yet. 

What has worked however, are real contributions to governmental efforts that were put in place to help influence a change in the state of youth in North America. There are tons of programs such as the Mentorship program and the Youth Employment Fund that provide professionals with opportunities to make a real difference and give a young person the opportunity to gain real work experience, and improve their local economies. 

Don't complain about an entire generation if you aren't willing to make a difference at all. As our elders, isn't it your responsibility to lead us young folk? Don't you demand respect from us because you are a wealth of knowledge? Prove it, share the knowledge, and create opportunities in your community. I don’t want to hear the common excuses “Young people don’t listen” a wise man once said “If you aren’t being listened to, change the way that you speak.” Here are some great communication tips to ensure that everyone you speak to hangs onto your every word: How to Speak so that people want to listen. I challenge adults to make a positive difference to prevent a tremendous amount of hardships for the youth of today. We don’t need more negative feedback, we need mentors and champions. We need inspiration and hope.

Thank you for reading my rant. I appreciate your comments, arguments and willingness to share this post.