What messages are we conveying to the youths of today?

Bombarded by increasing commercialism and frivolity from the media and a progressively modern society that is more concern with the paper and $$$ chase, I have my fair share of concern over the younger/future generation. Witness blogs like Xiaxue, and reality shows like The Bachelor and The Swan. Note the popularity of Paris Hilton and her reality show, "The Simple Life". What messages are they leaving today's youths?

As if that's not enough, note the increasing number of slimming centres and plastic surgery clinics. Witness young girls who are stick thin and yet still go on diet. Listen to talks of plastic surgery for a nose or boob job as if that's an everyday occurance. It’s no wonder more and more kids grow up with a skewed view of the world.

I remember being approached by a college student in Sunway Pyramid more than a year back. She was doing a survey on what constitutes beauty and self confidence to a woman. As the survey progress, I realised that my answers to her questions were more personal than just a survey.

"Would you rather be pretty or smart?" "Is it easier to get ahead of life if you are pretty compared to being smart?" And so on and so forth.

I can't help but feel that she is trying to find her self worth. When the interview ended she commented, "Thank you. Just one last question and this has nothing to do with the survey. How do you get so confident and at ease with yourself?"

The sad thing is that there is absolutely nothing wrong with her. No, she is not gorgeous, but she is not ugly. She is neither stick thin, nor voluptuous. She is an average Jill who has a girl next door look. And she was struggling to find her self confidence and self worth amongst a society that is so preoccupied with external or physical beauty. It is tragic. What messages are we conveying to today's youths?

Perhaps Simple Plan sang it best in their song, "Crazy".

"Crazy"

Tell me what's wrong with society
When everywhere I look, I see
Young girls dying to be on TV
They won't stop till they've reached their dreams

Diet pills, surgery
Photoshopped pictures in magazines
Telling them how they should be
It doesn't make sense to me

(Is everybody going crazy?
Is anybody gonna save me?
Can anybody tell me what's going on?
Tell me what's going on?
If you open your eyes
You'll see that something is wrong) *

I guess things are not how they used to be
There's no more normal families
Parents act like enemies
Making kids feel like it's World War III

No one cares, no one's there
I guess we're all just too damn busy
And money's our first priority
It doesn't make sense to me

(Repeat * once)

Is everybody going crazy?
Is everybody going crazy?

Tell me what's wrong with society
When everywhere I look I see
Rich guys driving big SUVs
While kids are starving in the streets

No one cares
No one likes to share
I guess life's unfair

(Repeat * twice)


I don't envy growing up in today's world. The question is what can we do to help change that?