Is it easy to be young? What problems trouble teenagers in modern society? How can these problems be solved?

Is it easy to be young? What problems trouble teenagers in modern society? How can these problems be solved?

Old people are always saying that the young are not what they were. The same comment is made from generation to generation and it is always true. It has never been truer than it is today. The young are better educated, they have a lot more money to spend and enjoy more freedom. They grow up more quickly and are not so dependent on their parents. They think more for themselves and do not blindly accept the ideals of their elders. Events which the older generation remembers vividly are nothing more than past history. Every new generation is different from the one preceded it. Today the difference is very marked indeed. The old always assume that they know best for the simple reason that they have been around a bit longer. They do not like to feel that their values are being questioned. The young doubt that the older generation has created the best of all possible worlds. I think, office hours, for instance, are nothing more than enforced slavery. Wouldn’t people work best if they were given complete freedom and responsibility? And what about clothing? Who said that all the men in the world should wear gray suits and convict haircuts? If we turn our minds to more serious matters, who said that human differences can best be solved through conventional politics or by violent means? Why have the older generation so often used violence to solve their problems? Why are they so unhappy in their personal lives. Traditionally, the young have turned to the older for guidance. Today, the situation might be reversed. The old – if they are prepared to admit it – could learn a thing or two from their children. I think, one of the biggest lessons they could learn is that enjoyment is not sinful. Enjoyment is a principle one could apply to all aspects of life. It is surely not wrong to enjoy your work and enjoy your leisure. It is surely not wrong to live in the present rather than in the past of future. The young have a lot of problems. The main problems are: aids and unemployment. Aids are a world problem. It attacks young people, who are the main carriers of the disease. Aids are one of the consequences of alcohol and drug addiction among young people. In my opinion the roots of these problems are found in families where children do not receive the love and care they need. Evidently, the reason for these problems is in feelings of loneliness that are so typical for teenagers.

It is not easy to be young. In my mind, the young have a chance to get a good and free of charge education.