originally posted on 23-04-2021 9:36 PM

What changes would you like to see for future generations? How can we help the youth of the future? What lessons can we pass on to future generations?

The first thing that came to mind for helping the youth of the future are climate change policies. It's so empowering to see that many people have already advocated for better climate change policies, evident through the school strikes, and hopefully we can minimize effects on the environment. Additionally, we should teach younger people to be more open-minded and inclusive. Especially when compared to older generations, I think younger generations have adopted more welcoming attitudes towards different races, genders, sexualities, etc., but we need to continue and improve this work so that everyone feels safe.

originally posted on 23-04-2021 9:39 PM

@WheresMySquishy @featuringme 

I very much agree with you guys! It is absolutely very important to raise awareness of the importance of mental health and impact childhood environments have on it as this can have long-term impacts. Climate change policies are also very important given that it will likely affect future generations. 

originally posted on 23-04-2021 9:51 PM

Alright guys! This concludes our live GR: Youth Week edition. Thank you to @WheresMySquishy, @featuringme, @AntonyRudik , @RevzZ , @Lost_Space_Explorer5, @24Kathal and @happyandhealthy for contributing such insightful replies to tonight's questions and everyone else who may be replying after tonight!

 

Tonight's questions on young people's experiences (from past and present) and potential experiences of future youth really reminded me of how dynamic and identical experiences can be. It really shows how many young people today are becoming more open-minded on discussing heavier topics but are also more aware of the importance of mental health and self-care. This really gives me hope for a better future.

 

Here are tonight's questions for anyone who missed this live GR and who wishes to reply (anyone can do this at anytime!):

 

1. What does it mean to be a young person in 2021? What are some positives and negatives of being a young person?

 

2. What are the most important issues for young people? Does anything need to change? What are some ways that young people can express themselves and get their voices heard? 

 

3. If we could have an RO youth week theme/slogan what would it be and why? How would this reflect important topics for today's young people? 

 

4. How do you think the issues faced by young people today compare to those faced by young people in previous generations? What factors or resources do you think have played a role in these differences? (e.g. technology, etc.) Do you think anyone "had it better"? Why/Why not?

 

5. How do you think young people in the future will differ from us as society changes? Do you think there are common experiences young people share regardless the time and place they grow up in? 

 

6. What changes would you like to see for future generations? How can we help the youth of the future? What lessons can we pass on to future generations?

 

Goodnight everyone!

originally posted on 23-04-2021 10:09 PM

originally posted on 24-04-2021 12:05 AM

Oof, I completely missed this one! I'm looking forward to reading through and answering myself later, though (if I remember! )

originally posted on 23-04-2021 9:53 PM

Thanks so much for a wonderful chat everyone! 🙂 This has been one of my favourite GRs!

originally posted on 23-04-2021 9:35 PM

What changes would you like to see for future generations? How can we help the youth of the future? What lessons can we pass on to future generations?
I would like to see greater support towards issues that young people face, especially for young people who are going towards a tough time. I would like to see a lot more supports and services available for young carers and young people with disabilities or health issues and it would be great if more things being done to help the environment. I believe that we can help the young people of the future by raising awareness and doing our bit to improve these issues now. Prevention is really important too. Education about mental health issues and access to supports need to be available at a young age. Children also need good, supportive environments in order to thrive. We need to be improving children's experiences at every level.
I think that young people of the future can learn from past mistakes and what worked and what didn't in our generation.

originally posted on 23-04-2021 9:46 PM

originally posted on 23-04-2021 9:49 PM

@AntonyRudik  Although I didn't use substances, I wish I didn't do a lot of things growing up. I think it's something that you only tend to realise as you get older.

originally posted on 23-04-2021 7:30 PM

Welcome to tonight's live GR all about our generation! I'm really looking forward to this one. 🙂

As always- if at all you find this conversation distressing or you feel like you need to talk to someone, about an issue then it's time to get some help! You can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 or use their webchat and email services found on their respective sites. The links can be found here. If you are new here then welcome! Have a quick peek at our community guidelines you can find them here!

Is everyone ready for an awesome chat?

originally posted on 23-04-2021 8:43 PM

Here's a pretty long 3-pt question!

How do you think the issues faced by young people today compare to those faced by young people in previous generations?

What factors or resources do you think have played a role in these differences? (e.g. technology, etc.)

Do you think anyone "had it better"? Why/Why not? 

originally posted on 23-04-2021 8:58 PM

How do you think the issues faced by young people today compare to those faced by young people in previous generations?

I think the issues facing young people today are very different compared to those faced by young people in previous generations. There are issues that didn't exist or were less commonly experienced in previous generations. Attitudes towards the issues have also changed.

What factors or resources do you think have played a role in these differences? (e.g. technology, etc.)
I think that the use of social media has created and worsened some issues, such as cyberbullying. I also think that young people today are encouraged to study more, which has delayed them entering the job market and created a higher level of requirements for entry-level positions compared to jobs for young people in the past. Young people today are entering the workforce and having children later in life. There are also differences in the costs of housing, transportation, healthcare, etc.

Do you think anyone "had it better"? Why/Why not? 
I often feel like it was easier for older people to enter the workforce and make money compared to younger people. For example, my mum got her first job just by writing her name on a piece of paper. There was no interview, no background checks, etc. I think she only had a diploma, when you now have to do a degree to secure that job. Now, it is very hard for a new graduate to secure what she did as a first job. Hundreds of people can apply and they can only take a few, and they interview them and do extensive checks. For a lot of people, there is a 'transition program' where they do rotations across different places to get a taste of which area they would like to work in. But my mum said that this way would have been preferable rather than her being thrust into the deep end in her first job.
I also think it was easier for older generations to buy their first homes. Housing prices have greatly increased in my area. My neighbours recently sold their home for around 2 million, but because they bought the home much later than my parents did they didn't make much of a profit at all. My parents bought the house at a much lower price (I think only a few hundred thousand).

originally posted on 23-04-2021 9:10 PM

@WheresMySquishy That's a really good point on the delaying entry into the workforce and the rising house prices. I think this is something a lot of young people can relate to and it certainly puts more pressure on them!

originally posted on 23-04-2021 8:53 PM

I immediately thought of this gif haha:

Anyway, I think it's different. Not necessarily harder or easier to tackle, just...different issues. The barriers at the time have changed and that's not necessarily a bad thing. If anything, it shows that things are still moving forward!

Technology, you're spot on. I also like to think our more collective open-mindedness has changed these things too. Perhaps issues which were once rooted very deep down due to their potential for being ostracised is much less of a factor than it was previously. This, I believe is a good thing as well. We're taking on issues which were once taboo (or close to it). The method of doing so...well, that's a whole other page entirely 🙂 

originally posted on 23-04-2021 9:03 PM

That's a really great observation @RevzZ ! Since different generations face different issues it might be hard to quantify who had it "better". For me I don't think that it is productive to try to quantify the difficulty of issues since it only distracts us from growth and might lead to the blame game (not a very fun game ). But yes I also agree with your point of view about how the difference in the issues people today faced vs people from the past faced shows that mankind is growing and has solved/ is gradually solving many older issues.

originally posted on 23-04-2021 9:02 PM

Some things I think which are better for young people in our generation are greater transportation options, increased government funding for some things, greater acceptance of mental health issues, the LGBTQIA+ community and moving towards diversity. Writing assignments is also less of a hassle because information is a lot more accessible and readily available.

originally posted on 23-04-2021 9:08 PM

@WheresMySquishy that's a really good coverage of the wide range of benefits people in today's generations have. This also links back to @RevzZ 's answer as it really shows how the world is improving and growing. 

(Couldn't agree more on your point on easier access to information. My parents have told me how many people have to rush to borrow certain books set for uni, sounds like a nightmare tbh )

originally posted on 23-04-2021 9:07 PM

Time for our next question!

How do you think young people in the future will differ from us as society changes? Do you think there are common experiences young people share regardless the time and place they grow up in?

originally posted on 23-04-2021 9:20 PM

I'm so sorry I'm late! 

How do you think young people in the future will differ from us as society changes? Do you think there are common experiences young people share regardless the time and place they grow up in?

This is such an interesting question, I think young people now have a lot more access to information because of technological advancements, so I feel they will be sharing information with each other more. Because of this, I think there will be greater exposure to information, and there will be greater acceptance of marginalised communities. No matter the generation or location, I think many young people will be able to relate to the joys and struggles of life experiences, such as relationships and work.

originally posted on 23-04-2021 9:23 PM

I also feel that technologies will continue to evolve and there will be a greater rate of information gathering @featuringme.

originally posted on 23-04-2021 9:30 PM

@WheresMySquishy I did work experience at my local preschool a few years ago, and I remember how surprised I was when I saw that the children were using iPads, because I definitely wasn't using them when I was in preschool. It's amazing how quickly technology is evolving and how commonplace it's becoming. Some have said that this is a bad thing, but personally I'm excited to see what other technologies will be developed and released to the public

originally posted on 23-04-2021 9:37 PM

@featuringme  It is very surprising! I also work with young people. They can get very bored if they don't have access to technology. Some of them find it hard to create their own fun and make up their own games like many people my age did.