Understanding Youth: Consumption, Gender, and Education Essay

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Young people have different priorities in their life, and their specific visions should be discussed as socially significant because the youth is the unique population that develops according to certain rules and principles. Thus, because young people represent the specific social group, it is important to reflect on such issues typical for the development of the youth as the questions of consumption, gender, and education.

The first question under discussion is the problem of young people’s consumption. The modern markets are often oriented to young people because the consumption patterns followed by the youth changed significantly the approaches to using such items as, for instance, mobile phones.

Theorists actively associate the young people’s visions and activities with the progress of new forms of consumption and consumer behaviors (Davie, Panting, & Charlton, 2004, p. 360; White & Wyn, 2013, p. 24). The reason is that the modern promotion of products depends not on the accentuation of masculinity and femininity aspects about goods, but on emphasizing the products’ functions (Goggin, 2013, p. 84; White & Wyn, 2013, p. 28).

It sounds strange, but modern young people do not choose products that accentuate their gender differences anymore. The main focus is on the pragmatic approach, and mobile phones are selected depending on their functionality, rather than on their design.

In spite of the fact that modern mobile phones can be neatly covered, the main attention is to their functions. A mobile phone is almost useless if it can help the owner only to call on friends and send messages. Modern mobile phones need to be ‘smart’ and help to take pictures, make video and audio, and have Internet connectivity.

Modern young people focused on a mobile phone as the technology for active socialization (Goggin, 2013, p. 84). The youth depends on the success in the socialization process, and the young people’s use of a mobile phone is their way to declare their existence. I also use my mobile phone for taking pictures and for having quick access to the Internet oftener than for making necessary calls.

The other important issues to discuss about the youth are the questions of subculture and gender. The identity of a young person is often formed through belonging to a certain subculture because the participation in forming and consuming the culture is meaningful for a young person who needs to find oneself in the world. Although young people join subcultures because of shared interests, the issue of gender still matters in this context (Hopkins, 2010, p. 56; White & Wyn, 2013, p. 129).

Thus, the young population belonging to punk, bike, emo, and other subcultures is mainly male. The opposite situation is observed about the New Age subculture (Aupers & Houtman, 2006, p. 202). Many leaders of this subculture who focused on the spiritual transformation are women, and this subculture continues to attract both male and female population.

Nevertheless, I should state that the accentuated role of a woman in the New Age subculture is the exception rather than the rule. The problem is in the fact that subcultures are often associated with the activities interesting for men. The New Age subculture is different because it is based on spiritual practices followed by men and women to develop their androgynous soul (Aupers & Houtman, 2006, p. 202).

Although I do not belong to this subculture, I know many young females interested in it because it declares the spiritual growth ‘beyond gender’, and it is associated with listening to music and reading books important for women (Aupers & Houtman, 2006, p. 202; White & Wyn, 2013, p. 131). As a result, young females choose to join this subculture because of their opinion matters among the followers of the movement who are focused on their spiritual self-improvement.

Young people can change several subcultures before finding a group of people whose visions can help to form the identity of a young person most of all. Women often experience more problems while finding the subculture free from the gender prejudice. As a result, the New Age subculture becomes the choice of many females who can feel equal to men in this group because of the focus on the personal development.

The other important issue to discuss is the question of education. The process of transition into adulthood is rather challenging for a young person, and the education principles and standards should be contributing to young people’s ability to adapt to adult life. Being a student, I understand the importance of the effective education for the future life because if the education strategies and material are selected appropriately, the risks associated with the adaption to the adult life decrease (White & Wyn, 2013, p. 140).

Modern changes in education reforms are focused on promoting the principles of vocational curriculum, additional professional training, and democratic teaching approaches in schools and colleges (Bottrell & Meagher, 2008, p. 24). The proposed reforms can be discussed as effective to mitigate risks associated with the transition of young people into adulthood because to feel safe and comfortable during the challenging periods of life; young people need to understand that they are perfectly prepared to possible barriers and they are supported.

I think that democratic schooling practices are important to promote students with the necessary emotional practices, and the focus on vocational training is important to develop the students’ specific professional skills. As a result, students feel prepared to overcome such challenges as unemployment, low wage work, and depression associated with the transition into adulthood. From this point, students of different ages can benefit from the current educational reforms.

The discussed issues can be considered as influencing the life of modern youth because they affect the formation of young people’s identity. Furthermore, the discussed questions are personally important for me because they help to understand the processes and aspects associated with the life of modern youth in the contemporary world.

References

Aupers, S., & Houtman, D. (2006). Beyond the spiritual supermarket: The social and public significance of New Age spirituality. Journal of Contemporary Religion, 21(2): 201–222.

Bottrell, D., & Meagher, G. (2008). Communities and change: Selected papers. Sydney: Sydney University Press.

Davie, R., Panting, C., & Charlton, T. (2004). Mobile phone ownership and usage among pre-adolescents. Telematics and Informatics, 21(1), 359-373.

Goggin, G. (2013). Youth culture and mobiles. Mobile Media & Communication January, 1(1), 83-88.

Hopkins, P. (2010). Young people, place and identity. London: Routledge.

White, R., & Wyn, J. (2013). Youth and society. Melbourne: Oxford University Press.

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