Youth role models these days are not simply worthy examples because what’s worthy to some is not worthy to many youth. Think about, some people in my generation walk around in Scarface t-shirts and have Scarface photos hung in their homes or rooms because they idolize a fictional character that came from nothing and was king of the world for a short stint until he was killed. Nonetheless many in today’s youth generation idolize the likes of Lil’Wayne, T.I. and LeBron James. All of these individuals are athletes or rappers, not doctors, lawyers or politicians. Then again even some youth are now starting to idolize President Barack Obama which is a good thing but before Barack, some young people liked the quote unquote “Hip-Hop Mayor” Kwame Kilpatrick and some still do because he is a “G” according to some although he stole from the city of Detroit and lied in order to try to cover up his shameful deeds.
If we look around us, this common trend of idolizing fictional characters or celebrities has been done time and time again between all generations. Like for some in my generation, the days of loving Brittney Spears has been replaced by Hanna Montana for this generation. However the notion that we must be worthy role models for youth is a good one but it falls short if we don’t understand what our youth idolize and are interested in. In order to learn this, we must engage our youth and listen to them. Listen to what they like and find ways to communicate through things they like. Now this is easier said than done but most youth these days love video games and for some in our society who are into the new technology this could be an opportunity for you to learn from the youth. Trust me, youth love to teach others the new gadgets and new technologies but when it comes to video games, they just love the companionship and the idea of beating one of their elders at something they know they are good at.
During these moments of playing video games with youth, this could lead to other conversations and real life lesions. I am not too far removed from my teen years but I can remember playing video games with the generation above me and one thing I learned from the generation above me is how to accept responsibility, how to talk to females and a host of other things. One thing that was clear from those talks over video games was that the generation above me was not preaching to me or trying to be political with me but was more so talking to me about what they had endured in their teenage years and they were seeking to understand just how much things had change since their teen years.
So it’s not about just trying to connect with youth but it about trying to understand them to get to know what they are going through because as the years go by, some of the things that a teenager has to face changes but then again they don’t. The youth today face some of the same things, I faced and some of the same things the generation above me faced as well as the generation above them. This is why the crucial moment to understand and engage youth begins with us as a society willing to listen to them and their hardships as well as successes. Today’s youth sometimes need to be exposed to a different environment but most of all, they need people who care about them enough to not just show up one time to speak to do but to do it constantly. Youth are looking for role models beyond celebrities and fictional characters so the one’s they hear about on the news or in textbooks but that starts with engaging youth on their level and not on an adult level. It’s not as easy as getting involved with youth but it is how you get involved with youth that will show youth if you are here for a short period or a long haul.
Youth need more than just examples but they need people who are willing to engage them on their turf and call them out on their turf. Youth need to be shown the error of their ways by people who have been through what they have been through. Think about, so many of us have come out of single parent homes, divorced homes, and impoverished conditions to live productive lives. Also some of us have come out of abusive, alcoholic and drug addiction homes to make the best of our situations to go on to college and make a good living. Youth today need real life examples of how one’s hardships and pain turned into success and glory. Our youth need real life stories and need to be able to relate to real people who went from the gang banger or wannabe thug to an entrepreneur or business person. Youth believe that it is what you been through that qualifies you to even speak on things related to them and all generations of youth have felt the same so this is not nothing new.
The truth of the matter is that, in order to engage our youth today, we will have to do more than play video games with them but we must sometimes take them out of the current climate of living they see every day. If a youth only sees the hood, day in and day out than they will only adapt to the hood thus becoming the hood but if we engage them, earn their trust and help them see more than the hood than we should expose them to more such as arts and culture as well as real life concerts and music events. Most youth have never seen a professional or college team in real life yet along a musician (rapper, singer, etc.) perform in real life but if you expose it to them, they will appreciate it. Still don’t get me wrong, youth must earn these perks but they earn with just like you earn their trust, which is through respect and communication amongst each other.
Another thing that we must understand in the process of engaging our youth is that just because our youth’s parents can’t relate to them yet along understand doesn’t mean that our youth can’t be reached. We know that parental responsibility is important to youth being successful but at the same time, when the parents aren’t accepting responsibility, we as a society can’t abandon our job to reach out to our youth. Now we might have some youth who we can’t accept but we shouldn’t think just because we didn’t reach one youth than we can’t reach the rest. All youth are different just like all people are different. Therefore what works for one youth will not work for all youth but that doesn’t mean just because that method of communicating or connecting with you didn’t work on one youth doesn’t mean it won’t work on the next youth or the youth after that. Youth come in all ships and sizes and their attitudes are no different than the rest of society because we all think and act differently.
Engaging our youth is not easy but for those of us who are serious about engaging them than we need to go where they are and talk to them. We can’t continue to make excuses for why are youth hasn’t changed if we aren’t out there on the battle field trying to engage them, trying to teach them and trying to understand them as well as learn from them. Our youth can teach us just as much as we can teach them. No one knows all the answers but together we can come up with many answers which is why in order to engage the youth, we must first be willing to listen to them before you are willing to offer advice. Youth today don’t always need to be preached to but simply need someone to listen to them and trust me if you listen, you will be given a chance to talk eventually but it begins with listening.
Still we can’t help all youth with engagement because as stated, some youth will not accept our help but for those who do than we need to continue to engage them. However for those who don’t, we can only pray that the Lord or someone else reaches them before it is too late. Pray works and the Lord answers our prayers. The war on our youth will be won with a collaborative effort of action plus pray because if we simply just act and not pray for our actions than what are really doing. Then again if we just pray and don’t act than we are simply waiting for the Lord to answer while we wait. Well in this war on our youth, we can’t simply just wait. We have to engage our youth head on and give them options beyond the options they have now.
Our youth need us and there is no denying that but when it comes to engaging them, there is no one all fit approach to doing it. But there is no denying that we have to engage our youth head on and stop talking from pulpits or campaign stomps but rather we need to take our messages to the streets to their porches and the homes of our youth to not just engage our youth but their parents. Sometimes, the parents don’t know how to deal with their youth or connect with them so they give up but if we can engage the youth and their parents especially those parents and youth who want help because those are the ones that we can help the most. Youth engagement is no different than parental engagement but it is no doubt that engagement is the answer to winning the war on our youth.
The war on our youth can be won but it is battles like this one that will help in winning this war. Engaging our youth is essential to the battle but it is about how we engage and what we engage our youth on that will help the most. So we must be ready to listen, be willing to participate and most of all be in youth’s lives for a lifetime rather than a minute. That is what is going to be essential to our youth knowing that we care and we are not simply there trying to get them to do things the way we want them to do it but we want them to do things that are best for them and are good for society. We can win this war but this battle is yet another battle that will pave the way for winning this war.
SAVE OUR YOUTH!
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