The fate of the future lies in the hands of the youth. Then, why are we so underestimated? In conjunction with #YouthDay, I'm writing this blog to acknowledge those who have a desire to change the world for the better. Moreover, I'm writing this to shed light on the struggles of young people we've failed to overcome. Finally, I'm writing this to stress how important it is to amplify the voices of people, no matter how old they are.
How often do you see younger people being taken seriously by the government and society? I have watched numerous viral videos and read countless headlines regarding the youth being discriminated against or mocked in serious environments such as parliaments, conferences, etc. There are many times when suggestions and ideas end up as jokes to the public just because the person who said them lived a shorter life. It hurts me how grown adults believe that young people shouldn't speak out on worldly issues, as this discourages them from ever caring in the first place. If we want a world with great leaders in the future, we should allow the youth to have an opinion on things to kickstart their love for changing the world at a young age.
That is just one of the many struggles the youth face today. Besides that, how about we bring light to the issues that youth advocates have constantly spoken on? Do you know what other forms these challenges could come in?
Firstly, younger generations are faced with more and more uncertainty as time goes on. Who knows what will happen by the time we're able to get jobs and become leaders? Due to ongoing recessions caused by the pandemic, many worry about their financial security, especially if prices continue to rise and wages get lower and lower. If the world proceeds under a big bubble of inflation, the 1 billion children worldwide will struggle even more to break the cycle of poverty.
Moreover, obtaining a good education is tough nowadays. A rise in population causes good universities to be real selective when choosing students. Even if you're lucky enough to get accepted into a good college, enrolling in one takes hundreds of thousands off your wallet! On the other hand, if people opt for a more accessible education, It's often frowned upon when finding jobs in the future, especially when the job market becomes more competitive.
Aside from that, understand that we will live in a period where climate change could influence everything we do if we don't cater to it now. For instance, it could potentially affect our health, career, and the overall productivity of the world (which is very scary). Therefore, there's a reason why people should listen to younger climate advocates, as their generation will be the most impacted by climate change.
To conclude, the problems we face today aren't new. The struggles that I stated above are what tons of youth before me have fought for. Hence, we must do our best to support them. People should be aware that the best way to cater to the youth is by listening to their cries—which is what society still fails to do. Nevertheless, I hope that as the world progresses, we will continue to find a solution to these problems, as more passionate children will have an opportunity to be in the spotlight one day.
