Teenagers

There has been quite a significant amount of discussion regarding the lax standards that are now imposed upon the teenagers of today -- one significant example being the permission for recruits to book out every weekend, with some strings attached, of course. Yet, the elder generation have begun to harp upon all these, calling the teenagers of today a "very fortunate" group of people. Thus, it is apparent that, to them, "fortunate" refers to physical and material luxury. Yet, the youth of today may not feel more fortunate, for they seek the pleasure that is spiritual, not material. Which group, then, is more fortunate?

The elder generation, admittedly, had undergone hardship and have thus learnt independence. However, it is these hardships that also prevented them from getting the opportunities that the teenagers of society today have. Yet, the world back then had a completely different atmosphere from today. In this environment, the teenagers also suffer great poverty and hardships.

The past generation all lived together under a collective weight that is poverty in the literal sense. Back then, they lived to survive the period during which many people, especially those holding political power, strived hard to lift off this weight. However, the pressure thrown upon the youths today is individual. This burden is different from the past -- it is one of reaching our fullest potential, or, in blunter terms, to the society's requirements. No one can help another bear his or her burden. Although one may aid another in gaining knowledge, that is not synonymous for helping another reach his or her potential, for that requires something more -- the development of "character" that requires one to bow down to the needs of society for its expansion, to stay ahead of the competition of the commercial world.

In today's world, everyone must be selfish, for only then can the burden be sufficiently removed. Even when we physically help someone, we do it out of duty, not empathy. Singularly, we find it already tough to stay alive -- indeed, many have already collapsed, condemning themselves to a world of little gain and recognition -- what more bearing another person's burden? If one can handle one's weight, then by society's standards, one is not reaching one's fullest potential, and more weight will be added under the facade of glory not to reward the achiever, but to stimulate the rest to strive for greater things.

In comparison, is a teenager any more fortunate now than in the past? Spiritual fortune and material fortune in today's society are constantly at loggerheads. Yet, in the past, they could co-exist, with material fortune enhancing spiritual fortune. Back then, the benchmark was low, and people who broke out and up of it were achievers. Today, the standard is set high such that one is not pleased or contented even with reaching up there. Only the inhuman can be true achievers in today's society, to surpass the almost-impossible-to-reach benchmark.

Thus, is it a case of misrepresented truths or one of jealousy when the previous generation claims that the youths today are more fortunate?