No Country for Young People

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Submitted by Precious Ogbomo on Wed, 17/08/2011 - 10:38am

Last week’s shocking unrest in parts of England has left UK business owners counting their losses, while the country comes to terms with the behaviour of their youths.

Widespread looting and copy cat riots spread like wildfire across the UK in just four days, as rioters consisting mostly of young people, wrecked havoc in their communities.

The riots have raised many questions about the culture of youths in the UK, with many lamenting on the lack of job prospects for the country’s youths.

Over 50% of the world’s nearly 7 billion people are below 30 years. This has far reaching implications for all nations including those with ageing populations. In an ‘ideal society’, youthful energy is channeled into constructive and engaging sustainable development endeavours.

The global economic meltdown, blamed partly on a ‘consumerism’ culture, has changed future outlook and forecasts, and this has meant that when graduates leave university, they do so with little job prospects.

Governments are therefore embarking on austerity measures to reduce foreign debts and abate future economic crisis, and needless to say that many young people are ill prepared to face the current realities.

Where are the role models?

The present value system has been constantly diluted to reduce success to a mere popularity contest. The craving for instant success has taken front seat to old fashioned hard work, while good morals and values such as integrity, accountability are hardly emphasized.

Young people of today are no longer challenged by society to develop enduring characters that outlive them. We cannot just blame the youths though, as there is a dearth of role models who lead exemplary lives for them to follow.

Society has gradually accepted morally bankrupt individuals and made them celebrities. So many issues that beg moral sanctions have been ignored as society becomes more tolerant of offensive behaviours.

In the Middle

Many young people feel stuck in the middle of political rhetoric, reality and the risk of social exclusion.

The money driven success culture has affected too many institutions who are supposed to teach moral values.

Whilst some societies still emphasize the importance of values, not too many lead by example.

Governments are held accountable for their actions as long as it is in their self interest. In Nigeria, and indeed many African countries, there is the consumption culture for both foreign physical products and behavioural patterns.

As long as it is imported, it must be good...right!!

The recent London riots have shown that even more 'sophisticated' societies have their own challenges.

Future

As many governments around the world focus on improving their economies, huge sacrifices will need to be made to ensure sustainability for future generations.

A world where role models are people with questionable characters will invariably produce the same in its youths. It is not enough to say young people lack morals or are unwilling to learn, this present generation is in dire need of value orientation from teachers who will dare to lead by example.