YOUTH AND THE WAY TO PROGRESS
YOUTH AND THE WAY TO PROGRESS
“Give me 100 energetic young men and I shall transform India”, rightly said by Swami Vivekananda. A country’s greatest asset is its youth. They are the future of tomorrow and represent the very best in the country. When the youth join together, they can even alter the course of the wind. Youths, when moulded and guided in the right path, are like an investment. The prospect and growth of every nation lies in future generation. They are the brand ambassadors of any nation. Considering the immense potential youth possesses, we can build a wonderful nation.
Most of the time, the modern youth fail to realize their potential. So there is always a fear that majority of them may get burnt and do not get the expected exposure in the society. It is the need of the hour to identify the present youth, and establish contact with the present generation. No matter, whatever they may be indulging in. Like education, employed or settled they need a pat from time and time and get motivated appropriately so that they can achieve and excel in life. It is sad to know that the current generation spend most of their precious time in social media and wrong use of Technology. Instead they should be guided to use social media as a platform to showcase their talents. Here one can shine personally as well as professionally.
But what we see today is, the present generation is wasting their valuable time without any goal or ambition in life. Even if they are engaged in any small time job or business, they need instant rewards and continuous feedback. There is an urge in them to be noticed and quickly gratified. When we create a conducive atmosphere of positive feedback, flexibility in approach and also upward mobility in recognizing them, they feel motivated.
The youth of today faces many problems such as financial crisis, social inequality, drug abuse, stress management and more. In the current pandemic situation many young people experienced difficulties because of loss of jobs, absence of physical classes, social isolation, overexposure to family members who may be non-supportive or even abusive, lack of physical exercises, athletics and other amusements.
In this situation it is very essential to make the youth stay on track as best as they can. It is aptly said, Self motivation is the best motivation. Below are few tips that would help the youth to stay motivated all the time
- Set Goals: Setting goals in life is essential as it helps the youth to move in the right path. Many teens and young adults are clueless until they set a goal in mind. Challenging young people to dream, set goals and achieve, can build their self-worth in them and help them to move in the right direction in order to accomplish their life goals.
- Set a task: Setting tasks for the youth will help them find meaning in their life. When they are exposed to the world and are capable of making a difference, they feel secured. Many of today’s youth face the problem of being ignored or neglected until they come to the limelight.
- Set a challenge: Youth likes to encounter challenges which are very crucial for them. They like to demonstrate to the world how capable they are in accepting challenges and elders should encourage them.
- Make it Achievable: When a goal or task or a challenge is set, it should be achievable. Breaking the task up into a series of smaller achievable tasks with shorter deadlines helps the teenagers to respond well to more immediate time horizons.
- Grab Opportunities: Another motivating factor for the teenagers and youth is to make best use of the available opportunities. So that they overcome the fear of defeat and get recognition among their peers. Most often they think about the future with a sense of uncertainty and fear. When they are motivated to make small achievement s and get appreciated that becomes a great incentive to them.
- Identify the strengths: Focusing on youngsters strengths is very vital for their healthy and emotional development. Even academically and professionally they feel better. It helps them to focus on their studies or jobs and leads success in their life.
- Career Choice: Good career planning leads to life fulfillment but the biggest challenge today is that new kinds of jobs are being created every day and one needs to be ready for this change. A recent survey on career option awareness among Indian students has revealed that a staggering 93% of the students aged 14 to 21 were aware of just seven career options though there are more than 250 different types of job options available in India. Hence, the present youth should be well aware of the career that suits his or her choice.
- Develop Entrepreneurial Skills: The new desired career choice of 21st century is becoming one’s own boss. While becoming an entrepreneur is natural for some, others might have to work on developing those skills to kick start their business ideas. No matter where one fits in, there are some proven ways to refine the entrepreneurial skills to launch and grow business. The youth of today should follow those steps to enhance their entrepreneurial knowledge.
- Social Media and Youth: Social media is a tool that is becoming very popular these days and the youth especially one of the most dominant users of social media. Social media has both positive and negative impact on the youth life. However, the youth should use their discretion to make right use of the social media. They should properly balance their studies, sports, and social media to live a fuller life.
- Relationships with peers and parents: Parents, friends, and the peer group are the fundamental contributors to motivational outcomes of the young mind, providing unique influences on their psychological development. Prior research has proved parent’s attitude and peer relationship are associated with the self-perception of ability, self-esteem, behavior and motivation. Therefore, healthy atmosphere at home and hanging out with friends with similar mind set are always essential for the growth of an individual.
Conclusion :- Youth are the most important and dynamic segment of the population in any country. We can undoubtedly say that today’s youth are tomorrow’s innovators, creators, builders and leaders. But they need the required support in terms of good health, education, training and opportunities to transform the future. Further, at present the youth is in a certain state of high energy and if there is no inspiration or proper guidance,that energy can very easily turn negative. Hence, the present youth need to be motivated to excel in their life. They need to be guided and encouraged at every step of their success. Above all, Self-Motivation is the best motivation that will help youth become successful adults,
Dr Shylarani B
Head,
Library and Information Centre,
Government First Grade College for Women,
Balmatta, Mangalore.