Carrollton High School
Carrollton, Ohio
Teacher: Carol Wilking

 

A Look at the Problems Surrounding Today’s Youth

By Tracy Hanna

 

In the growing world of today there seems to be a growing number of problems, and there are many worries about what will happen to America in the future. To insure the future of America the youth of today must be considered. After all they are the future leaders, businessmen and women, and workers. The country is going to fall into their hands and they will be the ones making the decisions and running America, but are they prepared to take over these responsibilities?  In the last few years they have been part of so many disasters. It has been brought to the public’s attention that problems with the youth do not just occur in the large inner cities, but also in the communities that have populations under fifty thousand like Lilltleton, Colorado and Paducah, Kentucky.  Violence has no prejudice, and it will show its ugly face anywhere. These incidents leave people both young and old pointing fingers at one another and wondering if there was some way it could have been prevented. Yes, these incidents could have been prevented and future ones must be avoided.  Society must also reestablish values and respect for one another in the youth of today. Some ways that this can be done are by the roles of family and society being fulfilled, youth involvement in organizations and clubs, and by the youth themselves.

           

The life of a youth in America is very difficult. School can be a terrible place where there is a constant battle to fit in.  In American schools prejudices have not disappeared but have evolved. Students are discriminated against and judged for a variety of reasons like their intelligence level, how they dress, whom they hang out with, and what their interests include. All through school students either take up the aristocratic positions where they learn to be bossy and mean to others, or they are the peons who are made miserable and oppressed and learn how to blend in and not speak back. Originality and the ability to think for oneself is stunted and thrown aside.  Students must either conform to fit in or be ridiculed and made fun of by the others.  No one wants to take the time to get to know one another and are quick to judge each other. School is a harsh world and the experiences from it will travel with them into adulthood. Slowly the social system of schools are producing tyrants, terrorists, and people who are afraid to stand up for what they believe in.  Values have also been lost.  The world of the youth of today is a selfish and lonely world where babies have become an expendable by-product of recreation, human lives are no longer important, and respect for one another has been completely lost. 

           

The first place where these problems should be addressed are within the families of the youth. A strong traditional family is slipping away and parents spend less time with their children. It is important that parents and their children develop a good relationship.  Families should encourage their children and help them discover their interests. It is the responsibility of the parents to know what is going on and be involved in the lives of their children. Home is where children learn about morals, values, and basically what is right and wrong.  Home is also the first place where there is a sense of belonging for youth.  If they do not get these things at home, then they will look for them elsewhere which will often lead them into wrong crowds and bad habits.

           

The saying that goes “It takes a village to raise a child” is not that far from the truth.  Everyone in a society should invest in the youth of today by either becoming directly or indirectly involved. They can first be involved by spending time with youth that are closest to them.  They can also help by volunteering with clubs or organizations or even just by giving donations to programs for youth. Possibly the best way is to get involved in a mentoring program.  It gives the adults a sense that they are doing their part and the youth gets a sense of belonging and a good role models. Often it can result in a long lasting friendship and an increase in self-esteem for both parties.

           

Another way that can help youth is through the involvement in clubs and organizations.  In these youth learn to set their differences aside, and they make friends and get to spend time with others with common interests. Most of all it gives them a place to belong.  Also older kids become positive leaders and role models to the younger ones. 

Involvement in clubs keeps children busy and out of trouble.

           

Finally, another way that problems can be solved are by the youth themselves. They must become more understanding and accepting. They also must apply what they have been taught about right and wrong and learn to respect one another. When problems begin to occur, they are probably the first to hear about it and should report it in order to prevent disasters. Perhaps the most important thing for youth and everyone to live by is The Golden Rule which says:  “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  If everyone would follow this rule, then the problems would probably decrease immensely.

           

These are just a few things that can be done to help improve conditions in society for youth and adults.  Every little bit counts, and everyone must do his or her part.  It is time to stop pointing fingers at one another and wondering what could have been done, and start taking action to improve these problems before they destroy everything.

 

Question for Required Reading

 

 

Q1- How does society invest in marriage in the USA and in Manus?

                       

In the U.S. marriages are expendable.  They are not necessary and        spouses no longer are dependent on each other.  In Manus a marriage is like investing in stock.  The way a person handles his marriage is a direct reflection on the way that individual does everything.

 

Q2-Interview 10 married people.  (No names.) State the length and number of each one’s marriages and a line or two of advice from each on how to maintain a long, happy relationship.

            1.  Wife, married 25 years, married once.  “Keep the lines of communication

            open, everyday tell each other you love them, and pray together.”

           

2.  Wife, married 44 years, married once.  “Work together, love each other, and                       have respect for each other.”

           

3.  Wife, married 30 years, married once.  “Communicate, trust each other, never

            go to bed mad, and always kiss good-bye.”

           

4.  Wife married 3 and 1/2 years, married once.  “Be honest and listen as much as

            you talk.”

           

5.  Wife, married 52 year, married once.  “Work together, don’t just always think

of yourself, and keep the family close by having family get together often.  We have Sunday’s where all the kids come home and we eat and do stuff  together.”

           

6.  Husband, married 51 years, married once.  “Spend time together and do things

            together.”

           

7.  Husband, married 25 years, married once.  “Communicate.”

           

8.  Wife, married 21 years, married once.  “Be honest with each other, do things

            together, and attend church together.”

           

9.  Husband, married 20 years, married once.  “Look to others first and yourself

            second.”

           

10. Wife, married 20 years, married once.  “Must have trust, communication, and

be honest about how you feel.  Also be committed and remember love is never self seeking.”

 

Q3-According to Richard Eckersley, what should our collective goal be?

                       

Gross domestic progress (GDP)  will increase and in a good way by everyone working toward Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) which includes volunteer service and domestic work that enhances social progress and inhibits pollution and crime.

 

Q4-Write a worthy goal for your local community.

                       

A worthy goal for my local community would be a mentoring program that would aid in keeping kids out of trouble and give them a sense of belonging and overall making them more wellrounded people.

 

Q5-Comment on the excerpts from “Tomorrow’s Child.”

                       

Children are in a search of human connection because they do not see their parents often, and they do not get to learn right from wrong. The excerpts also say that when the minority groups become larger it will either create a larger gap between everyone or bring everyone closer.

 

Q6-How does the fact the USA is a democracy make lawyers particularly helpful, according to Kathleen Sullivan?  How does our diversity, wealth and size make lawyers particularly helpful?

                       

Lawyers make deals or mine-constitutionalisms like in marriages and issues involving companies.  They also protect us from the dangers of tyranny of the majority, protect the right of the minority, and they make life better for individuals. They keep the central government from getting too strong.

                       

Our diversity makes lawyers helpful because it causes conflicts, and lawyers help mediate these conflicts. Because our country is wealthy we can worry about other things.  We can use the law and lawyers to solve problems like health care, longevity of life, and clean air and water. Our size is large, but lawyers keep single individuals from being taken advantage of.

 

Q7-Ms. Sullivan claims bad practices are changed either by regulations or punitive damages.  Which do you prefer and why?  Can you think of an alternative?

                       

I prefer punitive damages, because it is more practical. All they have to do warn everyone.  Regulations would take up too much time and energy.

 

8-Briefly describe three ways society would benefit from the coming retirement of baby boomers, according to the required reading. When baby boomers retire, they will probably start up their own businesses and may hire other older workers.  These businesses will probably be competitive, because baby boomers have had years of experience.  The second way that society will benefit are by the goods and services that they will offer to the younger generations. Then the third way is that they may help create a day care for elderly as well as children, and this will cause increased productivity and less absenteeism of workers. 

 

Q9-Evaluate the likelihood of President Clinton’s anti-poverty program making a real impact.  Give at least three reasons to back up your conclusions.

 

President Clinton’s anti-poverty program will probably not make an impact, because there is already a long list of measures that have been offered, other presidents have tried the same thing and failed, and if these corrections were made it may not work to the best anyway.

 

Q10-Name three things Truett Cathy and Tom Lewis have in common.

                       

They have both have their own businesses and use them to give back to society and help children.  They also both believe in hard work.