Global Q&A: ‘What do you see when you look at young people today?’

Well, I’m no judge. My old human nature was the same as what I see today, when I was growing up—it is just as ugly. I don’t see any difference in it, we were just as cheeky and naughty. If we did what they do today, perhaps we would have got our heads knocked off. But life is not getting better. As a friend of mine used to say: ‘the morals are dropping,’ but whose fault is it? Isn’t it the parents? It’s not just the children. Poor kids are left at home and mum’s out working and dad’s doing something else.

They are young and beautiful, and they do have a big space for blossoming. The whole world belongs to them, so we can only envy them [in a good sense]. Many of them have a better life compared to us at their age. I wish them all the best, so they will be able to fulfill their dreams. I don’t like the deterioration of today’s morality, and their occasional vulgar vocabulary in public. Our own youthful protests manifested in different clothing, but we still used to express respect toward older people.

Young ones today don’t respect their parents, they don’t like to work. What they like is just hanging around, staying idle without work.

For me, it is sad to see so many young people who after finishing with their studies cannot find a job so that they can work in the field they studied. They work in different activities, or sometimes they just have to leave and find work elsewhere. I think the politicians must launch more active employment programs so that young people may have a better future, not only professionally speaking, but as a whole.

I see that they are disrespectful, very liberal, and often irresponsible. They do not obey their parents and do what they want, and even suffer believing this is the modern way and the old ways are outdated. Really, I see at present that the morals of the youth are very low.

We would wish that young people were more educated, more respectful, and less cold. It seems that they have no ethical or moral nature; they are very empty, removed from the spiritual. At least that is what I perceive in their speech [and] in the way they express themselves. Most young people have no respect in the treatment of others. Usually they use words that are vulgar and dirty; perhaps they need more education. Besides the music they listen to, the “reggeaton”, is very empty, ugly, grotesque, and mindless.

[Note: Reggeaton is a form of predominantly Latin urban music]

Some young people I know are very, very sharp. I have a lot of confidence in them. Others are too much wrapped up in cell phones, BlackBerrys, [they are] too wired. There are so many ways to communicate—no one's communicating anymore. I grew up in a different world. There is a lot of bad stuff in the world today. There are too many temptations. I'm glad I'm not growing up now. All in all, I'm very hopeful.

The circumstances all around have changed and there is more freedom for the youngsters. They are a thinking generation and are able to influence a change in the behavioral pattern, which we always mistake as a immoral effect on the society. Whatever we think as a declining morality, had existed even before, but people were not bold enough to come out with the facts. The youngsters are ready to face the facts and reality, and are bold enough to come out with the facts.

I think they are totally different to the young people of my younger days, who at that time valued respect for elders; orders were not questioned only obeyed. Young people today are rebellious and disrespectful, are manipulative and are only willing to fulfill their wishes regardless of the costs that these entail. I see when I look at today’s youth rebellion, indiscipline, and loss of moral values. I see that the foundations of education have changed.

There are some wonderful young people [still around]. Today, young people have many opportunities, and getting educated. … all these different choices to make today. The opportunities were far and few between [in my day]. There was little money around at the time. The world is moving so fast nowadays! It’s hard to keep up. People made do with what they had. People were more inventive then. Everything has gone ahead. There’s such a change in people, people are so busy.