In today’s competitive and fast-paced world, people have to go extra miles to make their ends meet. This stirs unrest in masses, mental unrest, physical unrest, and emotional unrest. People are striving hard to catch up with the so-called life standards set by the rich of the world. These so-called life standards have generated many challenges. The most affected and challenged portion by such standards is ‘youth’. And that’s why today’s youth is more stressed and depressed than before. Many hurdles are faced by youth but here we will discuss 10 biggest youth challenges.
People always speak about youth challenges but they never bring solutions to the table. And now the question is; are we leaving towards a better world behind for our youth, or we are creating more challenges that will create issues for upcoming youngsters?
Our youth is challenged and depressed than ever before. You would find them considering suicide as an escape from problems of life.
Here is the list of challenges faced by our youth:
1. Communication Gap:
Our youth doesn’t want to be pampered like kids but they are not ready to take responsibilities either. Have our elders stopped looking into the responsibilities they have towards their youngsters? There is a huge communication gap in youngsters and their elders. The former believe that they are old enough to decide life matters while the latter just refuse to give some due space to the youngster. It is one of the biggest youth challenges in today’s world.
Youngsters find it difficult to express themselves to the parents or elders. Because they fear that opening up to parents will make them upset. It is one of the biggest youth challenges in today’s world.
2. Unemployment:
The second major youth challenge is the lack of economic activities which generates unemployment. There is more supply of fresh grads in the market and very few job opportunities. The pressure for finding a good job and starting a good career generates anxiety and tension in youth.
3. Flawed Education System:
The tough competition set by the education system has ruined the mental health of kids and adults alike. The pressure to topping the class creates unrest in youth. A kid goes extra miles to prove him/herself or else they will be considering the leftover of the society. These flawed education system are costing young people’s mental health.
4. Body Shaming:
Call it bullying or harassment but this evil of body shaming has penetrated in our society. If you are not lean like a model walking on the ramp, or any actor/ actress, it is not considered to be normal for you. You will be bullied for being overweight or underweight. This dangerous behavior of bullying indeed is the biggest youth challenge but it has ruined many youngsters’ mental and physical health.
5. Family Problems:
It is said that if your parents are not happy in their relationship, it eventually affects the mental or psyche of children. Continuously fighting in front of children affects their brain negatively. Such kids when step in adulthood they find it hard to trust people around them. Because they are deprived of love, care and family togetherness, the indulge into substance abuse or get themselves into illegal activities. Such youngsters are mentally not sound and require extra care and attention. Divorced parents or troubled parents create uncalled issues for their children. Parents’ separation is another gigantic youth challenge.
6. Drug Abuse:
Unfortunately, to cope up with issues, youngsters get themselves involved in drugs. The start smoking cigarettes, weeds, etc, and start drinking alcohol and become addicted. They unknowingly damage their health. Excessive drug use leads to severe mental sickness. A youngster involved in drug abuse starts hallucinating, develop delusion which can lead to schizophrenia; one of the severe and painful mental condition. Drug abuse is a youth challenge that needs to be addressed properly.
7. Materialism:
Our society promotes materialism. If you can’t afford a brand new cellphone, branded clothes or other luxury items, you will be considered less-privileged. The big advertising companies make sure to promote materialism as much as they could. Their make sure to program the customer mind in a way where only thing considered being normal is having luxury products. And unluckily we live in a society that gives respect to those with money or luxuries and look down upon those who are less-privileged. Youth strives hard to get a perfect job to earn the money which can enable them to buy these luxuries. Sometimes, youngsters chose illegal ways to fulfill their desires and end up incarcerated. This is another youth challenge that is disturbing the mental health of youngsters.
8. Perfectionism:
We all are imperfect, so are our lives. Our youth go for perfectionism because they are being programed by the big brands and companies that everything should be perfect. Advertisements portray perfectionism through money. Our youth see these and ideal such luxuries and as a result they want everything to be perfect, a perfect job, a perfect body, a perfect relationship, a perfect life partner, in fact, a perfect life. Finding perfection in everything adds to the frustration which leads to stress. And stress again disturbed the youngsters’ mental health. Attaining perfectionism is a youth challenge.
9. Social Media:
Sounds strange but social media indeed has more negatives than positives. Today’s youth compare their lives with those they follow on social media. The fake display of happiness by the so-called influencers make today’s youth question their lives and dreams. The frustration they receive after seeing the temporary happy profile of the celebrities adds youth challenge. They mentally stay occupied, thinking about the ways to become as happy and successful as their favourite celebrity.
10. Racial Discrimination:
Many studies have been conducted, many seminars have been held to raise the awareness about equality and to eliminate racial discrimination, but still, this evil prevails in our society. Our youth face derogatory remarks about their skin colour, their religion and their ethnicity they come from. This youth challenge has ruined many bright stars.
Despite facing all these challenges, our youth is strong and valiant enough to overcome the.
And to cope up with youth challenges and problems, our youth will have to become more practical and more rationale!