Youth of Today

There is a wise old saying, “Who so neglects learning in his youth loses the past and is dead to the future”. One cannot deny the fact that youth is one of the most important assets of a country. It has the potential to play a key role in the development of a society. Pakistan is lucky in this sense, having the highest population of youth. Pakistan was created by the efforts of passionate and visionary leaders like Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who placed great importance on the role of youth. Quaid once said, “Pakistan is proud of its youth, particularly the students who have always been in the forefront in the hour of trial and need. You are the nation’s leaders of tomorrow and you must fully equip yourself by discipline, education, and training for the arduous task lying ahead of you. You should realize the magnitude of your responsibility and be ready to bear it”.

Young people can build up a nation by innovative and creative ideas which directly benefit the people and ensures the progress of the society. They possess great enthusiasm and energy and if their potential is used in the right direction they can ensure rapid progress. They are social actors of change and progress. Their contribution, therefore, is highly needed for a country’s progress. Youth has the potential to change the future of society with their well-being and heroic behavior. They are a significant part of a nation’s development.

But the worrisome problem that we observe today, is the lack of youth participation in the development and progress of our country. The young generation of our state has forgotten their important role of lifting up their beloved country to the heights of success. Young generation today is more inclined towards self-advantage rather than pondering upon national interest. They see no difference between social and real life. We see our youth depressed and always complaining about the issues but no one steps up to find a solution for those issues. The youth of today has become rude and impatient, having no self-control. The world has transformed into a global village, connecting people and presenting huge amounts of information right at our fingertips. Technological advancements have enabled us to do things that were once thought to be impossible. But are we using it positively for the welfare of our community? We all know the answer, don’t we? Young people are too obsessed with their cell phones and use them merely for self and fun purpose. We are making the negative use of technology as it is limiting our human capacity and has made us depend on it too much. We have disregarded the fact that youth of a country should be filled with productive and towering ambitions.

But the youth alone cannot be blamed. They are not provided with the appropriate environment or platforms to polish their skills and prove their abilities. This adds to the ineffectiveness of young minds. There are significant obstacles which discourage community activeness among youth, for example not being taken seriously, not being asked, and lack of clarity about roles and responsibilities. Moreover, there is a lack of communication and awareness of opportunities among youth. Other reasons that harm youth development are lack of resources in our country, no quality education and standard curriculum across the country, less or no power is given to young people to initiate organizational change, prevailing unemployment and class distinctions preventing young people from lower-income backgrounds to interact with those from high-income backgrounds.

So what needs to be done? The government must take strong measures to save the future of young people. Good quality education should be the first priority of government. More job opportunities should be created for young people. Government and organizations need to reach out to young people in order to involve them in decision-making processes and constructive dialogues. This way youth can use its potential in the right direction rather than exploiting its qualities and energy. Moreover, there is a dire need for proper mentoring so that they are brought into community organizations and civic roles. This will allow them to participate in local decision-making at multiple levels and will lead to skill enhancement, confidence building and developing leadership qualities. We need to create more awareness about the potential among young people have and ensure that their views are included in national policy discussions.

Also what is needed is that young people should stand together and get actively involved in social issues as patriotic citizens. They must play their role in promoting national integration and development. As it is said, “Give the youth a proper environment. Motivate them. Extend the support they need. Each one of them has an infinite source of energy. They will deliver”.

 Miss.Minahil Shawal Afridi

The author is a blogger & mission holder Positive Pakistan.