YOUTH SHOULD HAVE CONTROL OVER THEIR FUTURE LIVES?

 YOUTH SHOULD HAVE CONTROL OVER THEIR FUTURE LIVES?

This article presents suggestions as to whether young people should have more influence on what happens in their lives.

To begin with, most of the youth are sensible enough to participate in active decision-making that relate to issues that will affect the future. Moreover, some people claim that it is their right to know and decide on issues related to their future, for instance, being equipped with voting rights so as to be able to decide who will lead them without any selfish motives. Furthermore, exposure to such can help them to understand and have an experience of these matters earlier, making them more accurate in making judgements and decisions as years pass by. These days, the youth are very smart, bold and courageous. They can contribute greatly to the development and progress of their countries by suggesting innovative ideas. Moreover, this can help boost their self-confidence and enable them to deepen their knowledge and think 'outside the box'.

However, some people believe that the youth cannot certainly contribute to decision-making because they are not mature enough and neither do they have much experience. They are likely to take it as a joke and do things for the fun of it rather than with understanding. They may be driven away by ethos, for example, if a person participating in elections offers them something that they would dearly love to have like gadgets, then they would definitely vote for that person, which means that they would not give a vote based on ability but rather based on a bribe. Sometimes, it can prove to be overburdening as they struggle to cope up with both issues simultaneously. Some people claim that they are likely to take wrong decisions, which may have a negative impact on their future, so they prefer that such affairs are limited to the adults.

In our country, the youth do not have voting rights and they are not allowed to drive as well. However, they are encouraged to engage in positive activities such as conserving the environment, utilising water carefully, creating an eco-friendly environment, among others. The youth are the future generation, so they are equipped with the best skills and trained to be good, morally upright human beings. For instance, if they commit a humongous crime, they are taken to a rehabilitation centre.

In conclusion, I think that the youth should have more influence on the events taking place their lives. However, teenagers should appreciate this and be more considerate while taking decisions. They should avoid being playful and ignorant, and being carried away by emotions. They must act more mature and respect the need to make wise decisions. 

Written by:

Ritu Karania,

Year 11.