Overburndened Youth

Overburndened Youth 

Ambrose Monteiro SDB

Ramanuja Jadhav, aged 24 is pursuing his studies of Commerce and comes from a humble background. To continue his studies, he is forced to work in a restaurant as a part time waiter. His salary helps him to make ends meet and ensure that he can continue dreaming to become a learned person.

              It is widely believed that the most energetic age-group award (if it ever would be!) would always, undoubtedly go to the Youth, thanks to their soaring energy levels. Youngsters often seek opportunities to prove themselves as responsible adults. They are constantly in search of identity and meaning in life.

But how much heat and pressure can they possibly bear in the process? There is always a tipping point for everything. It is very common today that people, especially the youth, are overburdened in order to yield as much profit as possible.

The Agony of Students: In a college setup, youngsters are seen running around trying to complete assignments and meet deadlines, not to forget the daily household duties which they already have. All of this slaughter is coolly termed as “Preparation for the Future.” It becomes very easy for the professors to tell and delegate assignments but at times it is just too much. Another phenomenon in today’s academics is the pressure of competitive examinations for which students prepare for months and in the bargain are stressed and lose quality family time. They lose leisure and games time ‘coz they have to fulfill the expectations of their parents and teachers. They surely have no time to lose!

The Office Rat-race: At office, young employees are often picked upon and are considered as cheap labour. A lot of work is pushed their way because they have not yet learnt the ‘tricks of the trade.’ They come to office early but often leave quite late. And in terms of payment they are paid less because of their lack of experience. All these things lead or I should say, push them into the rat race. And when they become ‘Bosses,’ the track is just replayed!

Where to Head? : With these and so many other trends, which do no good other than overburdening the youth. There is a need to ‘pull the chain’ somewhere. The agony of these youngsters needs to be understood and relieved. The need of the hour is to strike a healthy balance between healthy pressure, something that is needed for proper growth and leisure time.