The 10 Challenges Faced By Today's Youth 

As a youth myself, I know how difficult the world has become for one. Some are very fortunate, but there are many of whom aren’t as lucky, and have to go through hardships, struggling to get on with their lives with all the hate thrown at them. 

We’ve seen coloured skin teenagers, who are subject to unbearable racist comments and bullying daily, and in worst cases – death. We’ve seen young teenagers already with their cigarettes and doing hard drugs, at parties, why? Parents fighting at home, financial problems. Children in Africa and Syria suffering from poverty and starvation.

Below are top 10 challenges, that today’s youth face along with comments from our very own Sri Lankan youth! 

1. Single Parent Families 

As a child, we’re taught in school that a happy family consists of both a mother and father along with the rest of the family members and what happens when things don’t go as planned? Their adolescent mind suffers. We’ve seen an increase in divorced and separated households, and it is most certainly tough to take care of kids in divided homes. And the result is quite depressing – Alcohol/drug abuse, school dropouts and teenage pregnancies due to a lack of parental guidance.

“The single parent would need to manage to take care of the child and his/her expenses. Taking care of their child might be a bit difficult due to the lack of time on their hands as they need to carry on with their job. This might lead the child on to a bad path sometimes." - Sandeli 

2. Substance Abuse 

Cigarettes and getting drunk is “cool”, well at least that’s what the movies, music, social media and adults show. Sure enough there are many anti- smoking campaigns, government laws, taxes and cigarette packs that say “smoking kills” but I most certainly don’t see any improvements. We still see many underage drinking and the use of drugs. Along with damaged health, we also pose a risk to society. I’m talking of drunk driving and other disruptive behaviour. 

“Substance abuse is an addiction and they are hard to battle plus not to mention the harmful health effects, it would have on youth. I think the major reason to resort to them is peer pressure. People should know how to stand up for themselves for what they don’t like and not resort to unhealthy addictions because of social pressure” - Supuni 

3. Early Maturity 

Back in the day, kids enjoyed being kids. It was a time when building blocks and hide and seek were much adored and enjoyed. However today, it’s all about the latest smartphone, the new apps, the internet, and exposure to content that are adult – rated which certainly cannot be helping their minds. 

“Due to early maturity affecting only a certain segment of the youth which leads to non equality, it ends up being a reason for marginalisation and sometimes competition. And due to the fact that parents are not always equipped to deal with it, those who undergo it are left in an uncomfortable situation with no one to look to for guidance” - Damiru 

4. Violence In Schools 

Parents drop off their kids at school, heaving a sigh of relief. We see an increase in the amount of bullying, crimes such as fighting, murder and shooting, in schools around the world.

“As in seen in the news most often as not, adolescents are the causes behind school shootings and brawls and whatnot. Young adults these days are exposed to so much violence in the media, bullying, harassment and poor parenting that it could lead to the kid lashing out and taking out their frustration on the people 
around them.” - Zainab 

5. Covetousness 

The bitter truth is that we live in a society that promotes materialism, and indirectly introduces this into our children’s minds. We’ve all heard how parents like to speak on how our wealth and success is measured with how much of a bank balance we’ve got and the stuff we attain. 

“I do not believe that material things necessarily bring us happiness, which is of course a fact of life. But this is difficult to understand in a society that tells you otherwise" - Cassandra 

6. Obesity 

Anyone fancies more junk food? Obesity is a problem around the world. Who’s to blame? Playing endless video games, staying in and watching TV and endless surfing the internet and of course the food! This also leads to an increase in need of health care. So next time you order a pizza and have Netflix and chill on your mind, do think twice! 

“Obesity is mainly a problem because of the impact it has on one’s health. As a youth’s body is constantly developing, it is important to maintain a balanced weight so that the development and health are not impacted in a negative manner.” - Alefiya 

7. Education Inequality 

Education is a right by default and has to be accessible and provided to everyone equally. With an excellent college degree, and high school it opens a world full of promises and opportunity. However many aren’t fortunate enough to even access basic educational needs. 

“The simple fact that education can materialise into any given factor ranging from sectorial supply, quality, quantity or even a place, is wrong beyond compare. All these hub bubs on the providence of domestic education have forgotten one argument in play. No matter what forth it comes, education is as simple as it goes, it’s a science of learning, understanding and providing a better life and the cycle goes on to growing and making society much stronger.” - Keith 

8. Insufficient Employment Opportunities 

Nowadays, despite having a degree or passed out of high school, companies and employment agencies expect so much more than that. They look for experience and double degrees, masters etc. And with machinery and robots taking over, the average youth is faced with quite a challenge.

““Well, the lack of job opportunities itself reduces the motivation for young people to attain a higher level of education. So what you end up with is a group of young individuals who get involved in things like gangesterism, trade or illegal substances and crime” - Roosindu 

9. Poverty 

“When discussing about poverty and its correlation with the youth, I believe that there are many pertinent issues that exist in Sri Lanka and in the global world. Ranging from malnutrition to the lack of education to the children affected by armed conflicts to child labour and child abuse. We see that the children are being tormented and taken advantage of, and that is why it is in my best interests that I encourage the fellow youth members to take the initiative in putting an end to this major dilemma in order for a better future for us and the coming generations” - Thisal 

10. Juvenile Delinquency

“Juvenile domestic violence is an aspect many tend to shy away from in a discussion. This is a problem worldwide but the truth is many forget where they may have learnt it from. Such delinquents are known to be so for a reason. To have a stigma attached on his or her name is a reason they may continue” - Vinuri 

By Zainab Faizal