Young and anxious

I truly feel that the youth of today are restless.

- PIA ROCES MORATO

In one way or another, and in varying degrees, our youth are faced with the serious choices ahead of them as they move toward adulthood. When we look back on our childhood, we often romanticize it with being young, wild, naive and free. Sometimes even stupid. It’s a chaotic mix of total dependence and total independence, rebellion and obedience, or feeling like we knew it all and totally confused at the same time. With the pandemic interrupting our young people, I believe it is safe to say they mourn the loss of their limited youth. Which brings me to Gen Z.

These young men and women are considered to be the digital natives — the leaders of tomorrow who are on one hand politically progressive but also said to be with the worst mental health issues. That’s what they say, to a point where they are described as entitled kids who think the world revolves around them.

But as I continue to talk to and understand our young people, the one question I asked them was if they felt a sense of restlessness and what they thought was the reason behind their behavior. It seems to me that some young people feel that they want to change so many things about the world, considering they are said to be on the most idealistic side of the spectrum and, while they want to make good changes, they are given too little power to do so. Hence, the ball of such energy has nowhere to go, with little outlets to make them work towards their goals.