It is not easy to be a youth living in the 21st century. Why do I say so? Life cannot be so different from our parents’ time, can it? But it is. The new challenges facing youths today are brought about by the changes in society and the modern lifestyle.
A major problem youths face today is linked to today’s competitive education system. From a young age, we have to spend hours of our day studying first at school, then at tuition classes leaving us little time to relax and play. The exam-oriented school environment gives us no space to pursue our interests. We are constantly reminded that we have to perform well in order to compete for a place in a good university. Trying to meet the expectations of teachers and parents causes us great stress.
Another serious problem facing young people today has to do with electronic media. Firstly, there are plenty of addictive computer and digital games that vie for our attention. Many youths have given in to temptation and find that they are unable to stop playing late into the night. Similarly, youths get addicted to social networking on sites like Facebook and Twitter. The result is difficulty juggling their online social activity and other important tasks such as studying.
These modern times have also created major problems for youths in the area of moral values. Young people these days are confused about what is right and wrong. Our parents and teachers may teach us traditional values. But in reality, society’s moral standards have dropped drastically. This is reflected in television reality shows that encourage selfishness and backstabbing. No one bats an eyelid nowadays at the increasing violence and loose morals shown in movies. People live together before marriage. Divorce and abortion are no longer frowned upon. Criminal actions are glamorized. It is no wonder that we are confused. Making decisions has become a big problem for us.
All in all, life for the youth of today is more challenging than before. Some of the main problems we face are the competitive education system, the allure of the electronic media, and the confusing moral standards. When we make mistakes, parents and teachers have to guide us, not scold, and punish us. Patience and understanding will ease our burden and encourage us to communicate more meaningfully with the adults who care about us.
