Labelling our Youth

The youth of this generation often get some really bad raps from the baby boomer generation.

They are labelled as ‘entitled’ or ‘lazy’ and their use of technology gets them labelled as ‘distracted and un-present for their tasks’.

I teach young people every day and I want to also put other labels on them.

This generation is ‘caring’ for the environment and for those who struggle with their ‘differences’ this generation is profound. Perhaps this awareness is due to the massive amount of media we receive every day.

“Youth is the most beautiful thing in this world—and what a pity that it has to be wasted on children!”                                                                 George Bernard Shaw

These harsher labels are sometimes true but I wonder what responsibility we in the baby boomers generation have for these problems?

In our never-ending quest for financial security and a comfortable lifestyle, have we abandoned our youth to digital babysitters? Have we turned away as the plastic technological servants that allayed boredom and leveraged their skills became digital tyrannical masters that consumed their time and focus?

As Ravi Zacharias infers, have we slowly lost our sense of quiet wonder due to the bombardment of information that requires no imagination?

It is the heart of every parent to see their kids prosper and do better than they did.

Maybe in having given them too many opportunities and options that we never had, we have actually made it harder. We did not want to see them in the pain of going without.

If I had advice for a young person, from my years of dealing with young people it would be:

  • Listen to those whom you admire.
  • Develop character and relationships: the things that will get you through when technical knowledge will not.
  • Show commitment by being focused on a path as rarely do wrong choices made with wisdom turn out to be disasters.
  • Use technology as a tool to help you on a journey towards a goal and not the end in itself.

What advice would you give our youngest generation? How would you show it in your actions? What can you learn from them?

Remember that being different is your biggest asset and you don’t have to be like everyone else. If you need a career coach, drop me an email or private message today to get you on the right track.

Dave Brebner.

www.davebrebner.com

About the Author:

Dave is an Adult Educator, Speaker and Youth leader living in Western Sydney, Australia where he teaches the Electrical Trades at the Western Sydney Institute. He has Diplomas in Business and Training, a Bachelors Degree in Adult Education, Vocational and Workplace Training and a Masters of Education with a major in Career Development. He has lived with Tourette’s Syndrome, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Anxiety Disorders since an early age, you can read his story online. He is married with 6 children. He is a passionate coach and mentor to young people especially in the vocational guidance and career development areas. Dave is a professional member of the Career Development Association of Australia and has authored a course on Living with Tourette’s which you can study and purchase online through his website – www.davebrebner.com.

Leave a Reply