The Changing Youth World - 2019 (BJMM015)
The Changing Youth World
Dr Edward A
Edezhath - JY Bishops’ Consultation, Dubai – 3 Dec 2019
The Church has always paid
special attention to the young generation, knowing well that the continuance of
her mission that the Lord entrusted her is in the hands of young ones.
Moreover, young people bring in new life and enthusiasm to all aspects of
Church life. The strongest indication of Church’s interest in the younger
generation in recent times has been the Youth Synod that Pope Francis convened.
Different preparatory steps that ran up to the big event became “the expression
of the Church’s wish to listen to all young people, without exception” [i].
More than anything else, the Synod itself, the various documents that came out
in connection with it and several other initiatives that it occasioned, have
together brought youth and their challenges and possibilities into greater
focus.
As we try to take a look at
youth, the first question that comes up is, who are these young people that we
discuss? How can they be described? The United Nations categorizes youth as
those between 15 and 24 years[ii]
. And they say that this age bracket is flexible. The age group that the Youth
Synod considered was 16 to 29 years[iii].
But many other organizations tend to stretch the age with their eyes on the
functional expediency and practical benefits. A consumer related study of youth
categories remarks that “The traditional demographic definition of ‘youth’ is
no longer applicable in today’s society, and marketers should target consumers
based upon their engagement and participation in youth culture rather than on
their chronological age”[iv].
Their strong contention is that in practical terms those in the age groups of
25 to 34 should, for all practical purposes, be considered ‘youth’. Today’s
tendency is not to rigidly speak of youth as an age category, but rather to
speak of youth culture[v]
with a broad age category in the backdrop. This approach of considering ‘youth
as what youth do’ is significant so that they will not be looked upon as a
recipient category who will enter and leave the ‘revolving doors’ of
organizations but will be respected as partners in mission sharing an
ever-continuing path in the Church and the world.
They are big in numbers:
The overwhelming headcount of the youth and children in the contemporary world,
though in its own right is significant, is not the whole reason for a youth
priority policy in the Church and society. But it can never be forgotten that nearly half of
the world’s population is under the age of 25, that is about 3 billion of them,
and about 85 per cent of the world’s youth live in the developing countries[vi].
If you are in Asia or Africa surely the presence of the younger ones is more
than half.
They are deeply influential:
Today the influence of teens and youth in family decisions is undisputed. Gone
are the days when elders ordered, and youth obeyed. In most practical decisions
now-a-days youth are either the decision makers or have a critical influence[vii].
‘Kidfluence’[viii] is
already an accepted term in the language and at the same time a very strong
present-day reality, very powerful in purchases[ix],
but also in a variety of social behaviours. In communities if youth as a group
take a stand that will have far reaching consequences.
They are in touch with ‘today’:
To operate a gadget, to get some quick information you need youth. In a
technology driven world youth have a big say. “What can global business leaders
learn from a 14-year-old kid in a cyber cafe in Bangalore, India? …Just about everything” [x]. In a world of
fast spreading and fast changing communication modes and means, youth are at the
heart of it all. As communication becomes synonymous with technology, without
the youth skill the families and communities become out of touch with daily
life.
They are there where things happen:
For a communicating generation social networking sites are the place to be. Out
of the total world population of 7.6 billion, 57% or 4.3 billion are present on
the internet and about 45% or 3.5 billion are active users of social media[xi].
Globally, Facebook still reigns supreme among the social media. During the
first quarter of 2019 there were 2.38 billion Facebook users worldwide of which
58% (35% males and 23% females) were between the age of 18 and 34. To check the
US teenage trend, which often is the future indication of social media use, 85%
use YouTube, 72% Instagram, 69% Snapchat and only 51% use Facebook[xii]. Youth are surely in touch with the dynamic
realities of the contemporary world. Art, music, politics, sports – young
people are close to all these areas where there is life, action and creativity.
And definitely, being in touch with youth is the best way to be in touch with
the world.
Idealistic and innovative:
What characterize the youthful spirit, more than all else, is idealism. Dictionary.com
defines ‘idealism’ as ‘the cherishing or pursuit of high or noble principles,
purposes, goals, etc.’. “Most children I have come to know, whether rich or
poor,” remarks Peter Dalglish, founder of Street Kids International, “have a
profound longing to do something worthwhile with their lives. They speak to me
about their desire to protect Brazil's tropical rain forests or rescue green
turtles in Indonesia or help street children in Central America. …What happens
over time to this deep-set idealism? Unfortunately, even the most independent
young adults usually succumb to relentless messages from peers, family members
and the corporate world that earning a big income must be their top priority” [xiii].
High potential as agents of change:
Even though very often youth are kept aloof from decision making and policy
implementation by the top leadership due to a variety of reasons, young people
have an extraordinary capacity to effect change. Discussing the immense
potential of youth as peace builders Felice and Wisler hint at the core of
youth character: “Young people are searching for new ideas and open to new
challenges while adults have already formed their dogmatic discourses” [xiv].
Youth in general are open to change, future oriented and daring. These three
qualities in a way make up inevitable ingredients of an effective agent of
social transformation.
What the Council Fathers spoke about young
people more than half a century ago remains all the more relevant and important
in contemporary times. “Young people exert a very important influence in modern
society. The circumstances of their life, their habits of thought, their
relations with their families, have been completely transformed” [xv].
The unique place and importance of youth in today’s families and communities
indicates the special mission they have in today’s society. Many of them surely
have dreams and are eager to take responsibilities, but ‘the powers that be’ in
the communities and institutions very often either do not find them suitable
for any significant roles or just don’t take them seriously. Here again the
Council Fathers suggested an entirely different attitude towards the young
generation. “The growth of their social importance demands from them a
corresponding apostolic activity; and indeed their natural character inclines
them in this direction” [xvi].
For one thing, it is good to ask why in most families and communities youth are often taken for granted, in spite of their proved competence in a variety of avenues. In every Catholic parish an average young person past mid-20’s is educated, reasonably well employed and handles significant professional responsibilities. But unfortunately, he or she may never be looked upon as a source of any important information or leadership in the home community. Consequently, most of them keep away from community responsibilities also. One major reason for the distrust of the new generation by the seniors and those in authority is the immature behavior of youth and their restlessness regarding the ‘old ways’ at home or in their communities. As the recent papal document Christus Vivit mentions, "Much of the longing present in the hearts of young people can be summed up in the word 'restlessness'" [xvii]. In brief the very smart youth of today are rendered misfits due to their ‘restlessness’ with the existing state of affairs and sometimes with the traditional attitudes and ways of doing things at home and in the community. Perhaps here is the importance of Jesus Youth styles in accompanying youth. By connecting with youth, helping them to come to a God encounter and guiding them in getting rooted in the Church the movement taps contemporary youth creativity as well as their positive restlessness for the Church and the world.
[ii] "By youth, with youth, for youth". UNESCO. Accessed 24
July 2019. <https://en.unesco.org/youth>
[iii] Pope Francis. Christus
Vivit. Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation. 2019, 68.
[iv] "Youth No Longer
Defined by Chronological Age; Consumers Stay ‘Younger’ Longer". Marketing Charts.J
Watershed Publishing. Accessed on 24 July 2019.
http://www.marketingcharts.com/topics/asia-pacific/youth-no-longer-defined-by-chronological-age-35-is-new-18-6530/>
[v] Heaven, Cara and Mathew Tubidy. "Global Youth Culture and
Youth Identity". UNESCO. Accessed on 25 July 2019 <https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/e3a1/d600dea8e70e943925f1e8d5867d52f11abb.pdf>
[vi] World Population Foundation. Accessed on 25 July 2019 <
https://www.advocatesforyouth.org/wp-content/uploads/storage//advfy/documents/fsstateworld.pdf>
[vii] “Who's the Boss? Teens Influence Household Spending Worldwide”.
Emarketer. Accessed on 25 July 2019. <https://www.emarketer.com/Article/Whos-Boss-Teens-Influence-Household-Spending-Worldwide/1015039>
[viii] “Kidfluence” < https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/kidfluence>
[ix] “Kidfluence: How Kids Influence Buying Behavior”. Viacom. Accessed
on 25 July 2019. <https://www.viacom.com/news/kidfluence-kids-influence-buying-behavior>
[x] "Young World Revolution! - Youth, Technology and Business with
Rob Salkowitz". YouTube. Accessed on 25 July 2019.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuHEc5GS8Qc>
[xi] Digital Around the World in 2019. Hootsuite Global Report. Accessed
on 25 July 2019. <https://hootsuite.com/pages/digital-in-2019>
[xii] "Wild and Interesting Facebook Statistics and Facts
(2019)". Kinsta. Accessed on 25 July 2019.
<https://kinsta.com/blog/facebook-statistics/>
[xiii] Dalglish, Peter. "Harnessing Youthful Idealism and
Dreams". Family Care Foundation. Accessed on 25 July 2019
<http://www.familycare.org/opinions/harnessing-youthful-idealism-and-dreams/>
[xiv] Felice, Celina Del and Andria Wisler. “The Unexplored Power and Potential
of Youth as Peace-builders”. P.24, Journal of Peace Conflict & Development
Issue 11, November 2007. www.peacestudiesjournal.org.uk
[xv] Vatican Council II, Apostolicam Actuositatem (Lay People), 12.
[xvi] Ibid.
[xvii] Pope Francis. Christus
Vivit. Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation. 2019. 138.
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