Outline
- The paper addresses the issues affecting the youth of today with specific reference to unemployment and health.
- World political leaders and policymakers are largely to blame for neglecting the youth
Youth Unemployment
- The problem affecting many youths worldwide
- Causes: Economic downturn and advancement in technology discussed
- Results: Crime, delinquency, drugs, vandalism, resistance to authority, etc.
- Solutions: Provision of financial relief to unemployed in the form of Unemployment Insurance System/ Entrepreneurial programs in schools discussed
Health
- Bad health policies and political establishments to blame
- Problems: Poor hygiene, bad habits, persistent behavioral risks, poor sanitation, new and emerging diseases, etc.
- Problem compounded by: Financial hardship, unemployment, sanctions, embargos, unequal distribution of wealth, etc.
- Solutions: Increase capacity for the youth to acquire quality healthcare, including health education/ Health policies and preventative measures aimed at addressing health problems.
Worldwide, the youth as an age group can be singled out as being under siege due to a myriad of social, health, and economic problems that continue to affect them. So many things seem to have gone wrong for this age group that they are no longer sure of what tomorrow will bring. Of regret is that most of these problems that have continued to face the youth are not particularly restricted to any one ethnic, racial, or religious group. Issues of drug abuse, sexuality, poverty, crime, lack of identity, violence, lack of self-confidence and low self-esteem, unemployment and many more are the norm rather than the exception within this age group (UN, 2003). This shows that something must have gone wrong within the whole social system. This paper, therefore, aims at addressing some of the issues affecting the youth of today, with specific reference to youth unemployment and health.
No one could possibly ever deny that the contemporary world has been a hard world for the youth due to the fact that many world leaders do not give the youth problems the attention they deserve. All that the youth get from political leaders, especially on the African and South American continents is empty rhetoric about youth programs and policies that never come out of the delivery bed. As such, the problem of youth unemployment has gone over the roof the world over. This problem has further been worsened by the economic downturn being experienced the world over (Caton, 2006). Modern advancements in technology have also made particular jobs and skills outdated. The youth has borne the brunt of these experiences since they have, without warning, happened during their time.
But are the world political leaders and policymakers missing a point? Yes, indeed they are. It is not unusual to hear about the world political leaders saying that crime levels have gone up; delinquency levels have upped; revolt against established systems have escalated; and many more accusations and counter-accusations. What they fail to realize is that the youth, just like any other age group, has got their own needs and aspirations (Caton, 2006). Consequently, prolonged unemployment facing them directly translates into financial crisis, frustration, and hopelessness. According to Caton, it is a sad reality that many youths are not adequately mature to cope with such devastating conditions. So, the easiest way out of the quagmire is to result in crime, delinquency, drug abuse, vandalism, open revolt against adult authority, revolt against established systems, etc.
Of concern is that political leaders know the above rules of the game. But they either lack the will to act and save this generation or they just like to bury their heads in the sand wishing that the problem of youth unemployment will go away on its own. But this will not happen anytime soon. Solutions might be found, one of them being the provision of financial relief to the youth to shield them from the hardships of unemployment (Caton, 2006). Those in formal employment should be made to contribute to a compulsory unemployment insurance system and the proceeds shared among the unemployed youth.
Another solution would be to introduce programs that help students to acquire crucial business skills in schools. Such programs could assist the youth to garner entrepreneurial skills that help them learn their own business once they are out of school instead of waiting for formal employment (Nderingo, 2006). This is an action-oriented approach that our political leaders and other policymakers must adapt if they expect the burden of youth unemployment to ease.
Another issue affecting the youth of today is that of health. It should be noted that the youth are the future of the world since almost half of the world’s population are under the age of 20 (UN, 2003). Guaranteeing their health, therefore, becomes an issue of paramount importance. Available evidence points to the direction that healthy youth are well equipped to contribute to the development of their communities, and that of their nations. But this seems not to be the case presently – thanks to our bad health policies and neglect of the youth by political establishments.
Today, youths are more than ever being faced with health problems such as poor hygiene, engaging in unproductive habits, persistent behavioral risks, lack of, or poor basic sanitation amenities, and new and emerging illnesses such as HIV/AIDS (UN, 2003). All blame shifts to governments and policymakers since the state of Programme implementation and research in the field of youth health is sparsely adequate. Most youth, especially in developing nations, bears the burden of poor health due to the effects of injuries caused by war and occupation. The problem of health is often compounded by financial hardship, lack of gainful employment, sanctions and embargoes, poverty, or unequally distributed wealth, among others.
It is indeed true that worldwide interest in the health of youth has been characterized by many expressions of commitment to the youth’s healthy personality, spirituality, and social, mental, and physical wellbeing (UN, 2003). But just like the case of unemployment, these expressions remain nothing more than bare rhetoric. But the policymakers need to do more, especially in increasing the capacity for the youth of today to acquire quality healthcare including health education. The youth are worst affected by new and emerging diseases yet they are deprived of crucial health information that could assist them to make informed health decisions.
Governments and policymakers around the world must also come up with health policies and preventative measures aimed at addressing the health problems facing the youth of today. Issues such as poor sanitation can easily be dealt with by concerned stakeholders if concerted efforts are made to eliminate the problem, especially in slum areas where much unemployed youth reside. That way, the youth of today will regain their pride and be able to reconstruct their lives from the ruins of modern society.
References
Caton, S. Problems affecting Young People Today. 2006. Web.
Nderingo, C. Youth Unemployment Crisis has Workable Solutions. 2006. Web.
United Nations. Youth Health Issues. 2003. Web.