Young people in the modern world seem to have more power and influence than any previous young generation. Why is this the case? What impact does this have on the relationship between old and young people?
I would agree that young people today play a bigger role in society than their parents’ or grandparents’ generation did. This is mainly due to the larger social and technological changes that have increased the gap between the generations. Young people today are generally better educated, and because they have been trained from a young age to use computer technology, they have Internet access to information in a way that was unimaginable for earlier generations. This means that they are probably better informed than their parents’ grandparents were at their age, and their hi-tech skills give them confidence in dealing with the very rapid changes in technology that are so uncomfortable for older people.
In addition, younger people are often the most affected by globalization. They follow fashions in clothes, music and social habits that are common among young people throughout the world. So they have become powerful consumers who influence big global markets today. As a result of these developments, relationships with older people are often difficult. Teachers and parents are treated with less respect, and experience is undervalued because young people think they know everything, or at least can learn about everything from the Internet. In many cultures, this has led to a decline in school discipline, an increase in family breakdowns and even serious social problems.
However, the current generation gap is the responsibility of both younger and older generations. Both have to make efforts to understand each other and a good starting point would be for families to spend more time together than they normally do today.
