YOUTH EMPOWERMENT
Youth want to make it big Overnight
Decision – making is not easy. Especially when you are just about to enter a totally new world. Is a teenager capable enough to decide his career? What are the pressures and hindrances faced by the youth today while taking the crucial decision of ‘career selection’? We speak to Manasi Hasan, clinical psychologist and try to find the answers to these questions and know who decides for today’s youth.
Being a psychologist, the most common youth – related problems we come across are low self – esteem, depression, addiction, problems with parents etc. There is always a pressure on youngsters that they have to listen to their parents. It goes on up to a certain extent after which the youth becomes rebellious and ceases to agree what parents say. Parents want their children to do well. In addition to it, the level of competitiveness has risen. All such pressures to perform well are very taxing and eventually lead to depression for the children.
It is not difficult for a depressed person to get into wrong and harmful activities. Such youngsters fall prey to substance abuse. Another reason for addiction is the mentality of trying to look cool and happening. They want to try out new things and want to feel high. If my friends are having it, I should also try it otherwise I would look ‘uncool’. This is what today’s youth think and act accordingly. Hence there are outside pressure as well.
At the age when a teenager or a 12th standard pass out is supposed to take a decision about his career, he seems to be confused. We come across several cases where they are absolutely unable to decide. This is due to a lack of focus. When a child is in school, there is hardly any serious thinking on career decisions. Thus, confusion leads to loss of identity. When children can’t decide, the decision – making is left to the parents. But often parents fail to understand the interest of the child. Instead of identifying their children’s preference they force them to select a field of their choice. In such cases children loose interest in what they are studying, which in turn affects their performance.
There was a case where a rich business family wanted their daughter to an MBA. But the daughter was interested in teaching. The parents forced her to take admission for MBA. After sometime when the pressure increased the girl went into depression. Sometimes it so happens that parents are more ambitious than their children.
Going abroad for higher studies has become a prestigious matter
now – a – days. Parents want their children to study abroad and children are eager to live an independent life in a foreign country. But here they fail to understand the reasons behind such thinking. If the same options are available in India itself, where is the need to spend money for sending the child abroad? This shows that people just want to follow the trend instead of taking right decisions.
Youngsters should know that nothing comes easily. What is needed is to recognize your dreams and convert it into your passion. Here parents can play a crucial role in helping their child to achieve what he/she dreams. There are always bound to be some setbacks while achieving the goal and one should learn to face them. Sometimes youth tend to make irrational decisions. For example there was a case where the daughter wanted to become an actress and because of this ambition, her mother was tense. She came to us for help and we tried talking to the girl. There is no harm in becoming an actress provided you have the require talent and you don’t neglect the other aspects of life just to achieve your obsession.
The new generation is experiencing a mixed culture. Western culture is proving to be a dominating influence on India’s younger generation, particularly in urban areas. Call Centres have given this trend a boost. At the age of 18, youngsters are capable of earnings a living. But due to the habit of working late nights, these young employees get into wrong habits like smoking and drinking. These youngsters feel independent and don’t know where to spend their fat salaries. They don’t want to take advice from their parents. There are so many cases where parent’s complaint that their child is not concerned about the family. Hence it is required to have a healthy two – way communication between them. Youngsters should also try to understand the care and concern of their parents.
It is often seen that youngsters feel shy to discuss their problems with parents. They are not emotionally expressive. This is where our role comes in. With the help of counseling we try to understand the problems of both sides and accordingly try to give a solution to it. Finally, deciding what is right for him/her is up to the children; we as parents and as well – wishers can only try to guide them and support their decisions instead of becoming a hindrance in their decision – making capacity.
Article by:
Yuga Chaudhari,
yugach@gmail.com
Senior Correspondent,
Express Channel Business,
Indian Express Newspapers (Mumbai) Ltd.
Business Publications Division,
Express Towers, 1st floor, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400021, India
Tel.: (+91-22) 67440000 Ext: 486
www.channelbusiness.in